Barbacoa is slow-cooked beef cheek, traditionally pit-steamed until it falls apart, served by the pound on weekend mornings with warm tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa.

Barbacoa de cabeza came north with Mexican ranching traditions, where the whole cow's head was wrapped and cooked in an underground pit. On San Antonio's West and South Sides it became a Sunday-morning ritual, sold by the pound at meat markets and taquerias. The pairing with Big Red, a Waco-born soda popular across south Texas, turned barbacoa and Big Red into a regional shorthand for a San Antonio weekend.

Where to eat Barbacoa and Big Red in San Antonio

3 editor picks for Barbacoa and Big Red in San Antonio, ranked by editorial score. All San Antonio signature dishes · Barbacoa and Big Red across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 68 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg beef cheeks
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa to serve
  • Big Red soda to drink

Method

  1. Season the beef cheeks with salt and sear on all sides in a heavy pot.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and enough water to nearly cover.
  3. Cover tightly and cook low, at 135C in the oven or barely simmering on the hob, for 7 to 8 hours until the meat shreds with a fork.
  4. Lift out the cheeks, shred the meat, and moisten with a little of the cooking liquid.
  5. Serve in warm corn tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa, with a cold Big Red on the side.

Editor tip. Beef cheek is the authentic cut; it stays moist over the long cook where leaner cuts dry out. Keep the lid tight to trap the steam.

Common allergens: Gluten.