Barbacoa de Cabeza de Vaca Hecho en el Bradley

[Pachanga]

Barbacoa de Cabeza de Vaca Hecho en el Bradley

Cow Head in the Barbacoa Style Made in the Bradley

Here in Texas, like other parts of the country, we are blessed with great culture, food and fun that comes from a melting pot.   Cajun, German, African, American Indian, Italian, (to name a few) have added to our cooking ingredients and techniques.   Let's not forget about Cowboy chuck wagon cooking and its revival. Our friends south of the border have certainly infiltrated Texas.  Their rich culture adds to our culinary diversity.  Dried and fresh chiles, salsas, tortillas, spices, kitchen equipment and techniques permeate my kitchen.

The ultimate Mexican experience is a Pachanga.  Pachanga is a South Texas Mexican slang word meaning a wild rowdy fiesta (party) which usually involves barbeque, music, family (including the little ones and dogs), compadres and outdoor cooking.

I wrote the following for a previous post but will repeat it here as it sets the stage for Barbacoa de Cabeza de Vaca Hecho en el Bradley; Cow Head in the Barbacoa style made in the Bradley. 

Don't fret if you are not interested in the story; the gory photos follow.

Once you have been invited to a real pachanga hosted by Mexicans, the experience will stick with you.

There are toothless old men  sitting in lawn chairs of the same age wearing long sleeved shirts (even on the hottest summer day) with pleasant smiles on their leathery dark brown faces (cerveza may be a contributing factor to the smiles).  If a hat is removed, a much lighter colored band is noticeable on their forehead, exposing young, untanned, Spanish skin with no wrinkles in sharp contrast to the well worn Native American, deep mahogany, lower face.  Ample la abuelas (grandmothers) dressed in long cotton dresses are cooking tortillas and serving tamales. 

Little ninos and ninas are running around having fun but always are respectful and mindful to the elders.  They occasionally slip into the lap of one of the men for a quick rest and a stroking of their thick dark hair.  Then they take another dip in the small plastic swimming pool or run through a sprinkler attached to a long water hose.

Twenty and thirty something strapping young men (in sleeveless white undershirts, tight, crisply creased blue jeans and cream colored straw cowboy hats with sharply bent vertical brims serving no purpose) are laughing and telling jokes.  A beer bottle is precariously held between two fingers.  Beautiful senoritas are milling about while watching the little ones and cradling babies.

The forty and fifty something men (loose jeans, long or short sleeved, button up, plaid, cotton shirt and wide brimmed, sweated out, cowboy hat) take turns tending an open fire with a cabrito pinned to a vertical stake.  The coals are shoveled according to the wind changes.  Someone else is grilling skirt steak for fajitas (no chicken fajitas here) over glowing embers as a dog or two expectantly hangs around eyeing each movement of the cook's fork.  Fresh red, green and brick salsas are displayed colorfully in large bowls sitting on a brightly dyed table cloth.   A familiar noise is heard.  A slight, wrinkled old woman is pecking with a knife to produce a simple, deliciously fresh pico de gallo. 

Sometime during the pachanga, a pit is uncovered under the watchful eye of one of the old men who quietly gives directions in Spanish - the native language rolling beautifully off of his tongue. A crowd gathers around the pit; anxiously watching the unveiling.  A hushed quiet falls on the pachanga  as the burlap is rolled back and the first of the maguey leaves is pulled away.  Smoke and steam slip out of the openings.  They slowly waft upward in a lazy swirl.  A cow's cabeza, teeth exposed, with meat falling off the bones is revealed along with various other cuts of meat and a pot of steaming vegetables - barbacoa is served; with fresh corn tortillas, the afore mentioned salsas, avocados, lime and frijoles.

Slow paced, peaceful but rowdy, loud activity is prevalent in the smoky air.

A mariachi band is playing live or over speakers.

Horse shoes and washers are thrown for fun and profit.  The clink of the game and the shouts of a ringer are heard in the background.

A pinata is a must.  It is hung from a tree and teases the little ones until late in the pachanga when it is batted about until it is forced to give up its treats.

When dusk arrives, multicolored strings of Christmas lights brighten the night, exhausted kids are put to bed, a beer run is made, and the pachanga continues well into the night.

But mostly, you are accepted as family and honored guest into a sacred culture - not as an outsider of a different color.

For a moment in time, all is right with the world and it is the way the world oughta be.

Now that is a Pachanga.

As described above, Barbacoa is the at the center of a real Pachanga.

Barbacoa has a unique flavor and texture that cannot be duplicated by any other cut of meat.  Pit made barbacoa de cabeza has a very light smokey flavor.  It is more of a steamed or braised product.  A lot of  barbacoa  today is made in a crockpot with liquid smoke using beef chuck roast.  It is good but it is very different from the original.  Traditional barbacoa has a light smoke and herbal flavor.  Cheek meat has a unique combination of certain fats, meat texture and flavor that comes from well used muscle groups.  If you have never had barbacoa de cabeza, you need to try it.

I believe true barbacoa flavor can be duplicated in the Bradley for an authentic flavor.   You can control the smoke for that light smoke flavor.  You can control the heat for  slow cooking.   You can wrap it in the traditional maguey leaf for moisture retention and a herbal tinge.  You can control the moisture to bath the cabeza in steam.

Start with the basics.  You can never have too much Lone Star handy.



Buy a cow's head.  If you can't find them, they are located right next to the pigs heads which are next to the pig tripe, beef tongues and sweetbreads.

You can also find cheek meat separated from the head somewhere nearby that is packaged.  I have made this in the Bradley.  It is very close to the following recipe's taste.  It is easier to deal with and still is traditional in texture and flavor.  For a crowd, you can cook this along with the cabeza.  Trust me;  you can't have too much cheek meat

Pick up a maguey leaf or cut one off of your neighbor's century plant.  (It is best to do the latter late at night).  Buy a pinata while you are at it.  It will be money well spent.



Remove the eyeballs and tongue.  The brain will probably already be removed.
Rub the cow head with a paste of caramelized garlic, Mexican oregano, ground Ancho chile, cumin, salt and pepper.  A little mustard never hurts.

A shot to show just how large the maguey leaf is compared to the cabeza.  Fresh tomatoes ripening in the window for salsa. 

Obligatory eyeball, tongue and lips photo.  Save that tongue for lengua tacos.  Put the eyeballs in your nephews jeans pocket.  Tell him it will be a neat surprise for his Mom on laundry day.  Dove heads will draw a similar reaction from your sister-in-law.



Soften the maguey leaf by heating on a grill or on the range.

Wrap the head in the leaf.  Use wire or twine to secure.  This will protect the cabeza during smoking and impart a light herbal taste.



Lightly smoke for 2 to 4 hours and then withhold smoke.  Continue to cook for 10 to 14 more hours or until cheek meat is fork tender.

Unwrap; let rest in foil to cool slightly. 

Pull all the meat from the head by hand.  Shred with a fork or lightly chop.  Mix fat and lean.

Dish it up in a heated platter.  Add chicken for the babies in your group.

Serve with homemade flour and corn tortillas, guacamole made and served in a Molcajete, goat cheese, tomatoes, lime wedges, crema Mexicano, caramelized onions, fresh jalapenos and homemade salsa.  A side of frijoles is always in order.

Plate it up and dig in.



Give this to the dogs.  They'll figure out what to do with it.

Put on your best Zorro costume and beat Santa til he gives up the goods. 

Fire up a  game of Texas Hold Em.

Party til the sun comes up, and then cook up some Tostadas Divorciados.  (see Iron Chef VII  http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17969.0)

I picked up a lot more than Mexican cooking from Mexican friends and on hunts near the border where Mexicans did all of the cooking (I don't mean STDs and I already knew all of the curse words).  They have shared their culture with me.  I am fortunate to call many friends. 

One thing I have learned from the Mexicans is that there isn't any recipe, just guidelines.  Pick up whatever is garden fresh; add up some fresh and dried chiles then start chopping, boiling, and pureeing.  Something good is going to happen.

Good luck to you, slow smoking and Feliz Ano Nuevo,

Pachanga

[Caribou]

Wow what an undertaking Pachanga!
I have never seen a whole head smoked, I have only seen head cheese made from them.
Looks like you had quite the fiesta, too :)
Carolyn

[NePaSmoKer]

See what happens when you dont floss good, yer eyes and tongue fall off  :o

[SouthernSmoked]

Pachanga that all looks soooo good! Nice job!

[SamuelG]

Feliz A?o Nuevo!


SamuelG

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Habanero Smoker]

I'll smoke a cow's tongue once in a while, but I'm not sure I'm up for smoking a whole head.  :)

Quite an accomplishment in the Bradley.

[York]

Excellent write up.

Looks great... I would eat it. I doubt I could get the rest of the household to try it.

[Mxpunk64]

Didn't even know this was possible. Thanks for the great write up. If I can get the courage maybe I'll try it. Maybe!  :D

[DisplacedCoonass]

The only unappealing thing I read was the goat cheese.  That is an amazing platter of food with an even more important story about exploring other cultures.  Wish more people were as open as you are.

[Ka Honu]

Haven't seen a Pachanga post in what seems forever.  As always, both educational and entertaining, even though SWMBO nunca me permitir?a traer la cabeza de una vaca en nuestra casa.  Not now; not ever.

Welcome home!

[SnellySmokesEm]

Great post Pachanga, as always!  I remember asking you for this recipe quite some time ago and you said that you hadn't quite finished working on it.  At the time I thought that maybe you had just forgotten, but now I understand.  Kudos my friend!

[TMB]

First, great post.    But I think I would have hard time getting Kimmie to go with cook

[La Quinta]

I bet we can get a cow's head out here near the Denny's... 8)

[stxhunter]

Awesome!! I really need to try this!  Haven't done a whole head in a while.  I really don't like doing it in a poso, making that hole is too much work.  Where are you located?  I live down in the valley and it seems like all the heads I've found have the tongues removed and are sold separate.  Anyway, looks like you did an amazing job!!

[Pachanga]

Awesome!! I really need to try this!  Haven't done a whole head in a while.  I really don't like doing it in a poso, making that hole is too much work.  Where are you located?  I live down in the valley and it seems like all the heads I've found have the tongues removed and are sold separate.  Anyway, looks like you did an amazing job!!

Stxhunter,

I live in Arlington, Tx.  I purchased the cabeza at Fiesta Market (fifteen minutes from the house), a Hispanic grocery store.  They are always in stock.  The first time I bought one, I thought I would need to order ahead.  The meat guy pointed to the low boy freezer; there were about 20 wrapped and ready to go.

=================================

Thanks to all who took the time to read this post.  Thank you for the comments.

I hope that this post encourages and not discourages people to try barbacoa.  It was certainly not meant to put people off of a great cut of meat.  I would understand hesitation if we were talking about hamburger; I will not touch the store ground stuff.  I grind my own so I know what is in it.

My upbringing and culinary cultural background makes this a not so out of the ordinary cook.  Hunting is part of growing up.   Butchering wild pigs (they are taking over in Texas.  A herd took over a park near Jerry's new stadium; came in off the river bottom), goats, deer, rabbit, etc. and all manner of birds has probably numbed me to the unappetizing effects of skinned heads and other parts.

Ponder this; would you rather eat a cut of meat near the beginning where everything goes in or a cut of meat at the end where everything comes out?

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga