Barbacoa Casera Sopes

Chef Erasmo Casiano, Xiquita Restaurante y Bar

Chef Erasmo Casiano’s Barbacoa de Lengua at Xiquita is a tribute to ancestral Mexican technique.

In this episode of Chef’n It, he shares a home-friendly version he calls Barbacoa Casera. While the restaurant’s dish features slow-roasted beef tongue, his at-home recipe swaps in chuck roast, making it more approachable for home cooks while preserving the layered flavors of traditional barbacoa.

The meat is slow roasted with onion, garlic, toasted chile ancho and chile chipotle, and warm spices until tender and richly seasoned. Once cooked, it is chopped machaca-style and served atop a freshly made sope with salsa verde.

Chef Erasmo also guides viewers through shaping sopes from masa made in-house at Xiquita, highlighting the nixtamal process that serves as one of the foundational techniques of Mexican cuisine.

Learn more about Chef Erasmo Casiano.

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Active Time:
1 Hour 15 Minutes

Total Time:
4 Hours 15 Minutes

Quantity:
Makes ~1 dozen sopes

Note

  • There will be plenty of extra barbacoa and salsa verde. Refrigerate and use for up to 4 days or pick up some extra masa and throw a taco party. See the episode for additional masa shaping ideas!

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Ingredients:

Beef Barbacoa

  • 2 ½ lb chuck roast, or other fatty cut

  • 1 white onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 maguey leaf, sliced into thirds widthwise 

  • 2 ancho chilies, seeds removed

  • 2 chipotle chilies, seeds removed

  • 3-4 allspice berries

  • 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 4 tbsp neutral oil, or neutral and olive oil blend

  • 2 cup chicken or beef stock

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Salsa Verde Molcajete

  • 4-6 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed under warm water

  • ½ white onion, roughly chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 1 serrano chile, halved

  • 2 jalapeno chilies, halved

  • ¼ bunch cilantro, finely chopped

  • ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder

  • 1½ tsp Kosher salt


Barbacoa Sopes

  • 1 lb Nixtamal Masa (Chef Erasmo recommends Amapola Market)

  • Beef Barbacoa

  • Salsa Verde Molcajete

  • 1 lb cuajada de queso or queso fresco

  • ½ white onion, finely chopped

  • ½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped

  • salsa macha (Chef Erasmo recommends Pinche Salsa)

  • 2-3 limes cut into “cheeks” (sliced around the core instead of through it, see the episode for tips)

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Directions:

Make the Beef Barbacoa

  1. Preheat oven to 375F

  2. On a dry griddle over medium-high heat, cook maguey leaf until it changes color to a dull green and is pliable, flipping occasionally to cook on both sides.

  3. Meanwhile, season the beef chunks with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in a large dutch oven until shimmering but not smoking. Add beef chunks to the dutch oven in a single layer, working in batches to keep from crowding. Brown chunks on several sides, then transfer to a plate.

  4. Add chilies and allspice berries, and toast until aromatic but not burned, about a minute. Add onions and garlic cloves, stir well and scrape browned bits from bottom of pan as onions begin to sweat.

  5. Reduce heat, make a bed of onions on the bottom of the dutch oven and add beef chunks on top. Arrange and fold the maguey leaf pieces around the edge of the pot so that they roughly cover the meat on the sides and top.

  6. Pour stock into the dutch oven, and add water until beef is ¾ to just submerged. 

  7. Cover, bring to a boil, then taste and adjust seasoning. Place dutch oven into preheated oven and cook for 31/2 to 4 hours, until beef is completely tender.

  8. Remove barbacoa from dutch oven and roughly chop to incorporate fat throughout. If desired, add 1-2 tbsp cooking liquid from the dutch oven to barbacoa and chop to incorporate.

    Notes

    • The maguey leaves will be very hot right off the griddle. Handle with tongs or allow them to cool before working with them.

Make the Salsa Verde Molcajete

  1. On a dry griddle over medium-high heat, add tomatillos, chilies, garlic cloves, and onion. 

  2. Cook each ingredient until completion, flipping occasionally, then remove. Chilies should be blistered and aromatic but still vibrant green. Onions and garlic should be softened but not cooked fully through. Tomatillos should be bubbling and a uniform dull green.

  3. Using a molcajete, add garlic, onions, and a pinch of salt and grind into a chunky paste. Add peppers and repeat. Add tomatillos one at a time, crush and mix to desired consistency. 

  4. Taste and season with salt and chicken bouillon. Fold in chopped cilantro.

    Notes

    • For a less spicy salsa omit the serrano, or remove the seeds from the chilies before cooking

    • When cooking chilies with the seeds expect to cough as the capsaicin gets into the air. Chef Erasmo says to open the doors and windows, and “lean into the experience, cough it out!”

    • If your molcajete is getting full, transfer each finished ingredient to a large bowl and stir to combine

    • If you don’t have a molcajete, a large mortar and pestle or a blender will work

Make the Sope Shells

  1. Preheat a dry griddle over medium-high heat.

  2. Divide and roll masa into golf ball sized balls, about 2 tbsp each. 

  3. Place masa ball on a tortilla press between two sheets of plastic and press into an approximately 4-inch disc, it should be thicker than a tortilla.

  4. Peel top plastic sheet from masa disc. Place masa disc into your hand and peel bottom plastic away. Immediately transfer to griddle.

  5. Cook until bottom is firm, but top is still soft and pliable. Remove sope shell from griddle and carefully pinch the sides upward to form a shallow dish shape.

  6. Return sope shell to griddle and allow to finish cooking through, the bottom and sides should be lightly crispy. 

    Notes

  • If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a heavy flat-bottomed skillet to press

  • The partially cooked masa straight off the griddle will be very hot. Consider using gloves or allow to cool slightly before shaping

  • Peeling the masa from the plastic takes practice. Work quickly to keep the dough from tearing and watch the episode to see tips from Chef Erasmo. If your masa tears don’t panic! Either roll masa back into a ball and press it again, or if it tears on the griddle, cook until completely firm and break into chips to dip in your salsa

Assemble Barbacoa Casera Sopes

  1. Spread a layer of salsa verde across the bottom of sope shell. Add a large spoonful of barbacoa. Top with white onion, crumbled cuajada de queso, cilantro, and salsa macha.

  2. Squeeze a lime cheek over the sope and enjoy immediately!