A Barbacoa in Hidalgo

[rancho_gordo]

A few weeks ago I was in Hidlago and my friends, who live on an ex-hacienda, had a big party for friends from the Yucatan and visiting chefs from Mexico City. It was pretty amazing.

The pits had been dug when the hacienda was built and they're still used. The bottom was coals, followed by a large steel bucket full of garbanzos and aromatics, then a grate, then a cow's head and some ribs, all wrapped in maguey leaves and topped with dirt.

It's a cliche to say it was delicious. Maybe delicious and amazing? I loved it all but the consume from the cow's head dripping into the garbanzos was about my favorite thing on earth.

More photos and details at my blog.

[Chris Amirault]

What's the green veg on the right? Nopales?

[rancho_gordo]

Yes, cut razor thin, in a salad with tomatoes and onions.

[heidih]

Wow! Garbanzos went in raw? I have a taste image of the broth dripping into the beans that will remain firmly planted. Thank you.

[rancho_gordo]

It was a weekend of complete indulgence and yet the best thing was this garbanzo consume!

[Chris Hennes]

I somehow always suspected you had a thing for beans...

[rancho_gordo]

I just went to another party in Hidalgo, again with the barbacoa. It's just great.

I took a group of 13 of my customers to meet the bean farmers who use a horse and plow and only grow a few heirloom varieties. They were shocked and thrilled that people would come from so far to see what they do. I was a really fun and delicious day.

First, the consume, which is the aromatics and water under the meat that have been cooking all night.

Then the meat and tortillas, ready for a good table salsa.

Finally, the pancita, which is more broth, this time with chile sauce, and chopped offal. It sounds gross but it was very easy to like.

[EatNopales]

Good stuff! What was the typical reaction of your customers? Did they enjoy the pancita as well etc.,? Any Nopales with the meal?

[rancho_gordo]

To have someone come up to you and say their own country barely values what you do and thank you for coming all this way to validate what I do is pretty powerful. I think they were pretty overwhelmed. And they were a pretty hip group but it's still an eye opener to eat Mexican food in Mexico.

The pancita was a challenge and I'm not a huge tripe lover (I'll eat it but I don't love it) but this was delicious. I think everyone tried it, along with the pulque and the pulque with tuna. The pulques were a bigger hit than the pancita. My pretend Mexican mother (I'm an unofficial Hijo de Chabela) was disappointed that the pancita wasn't spicy enough but I suspect they did that for the gringo guests. The liver was the best part.

This meal had no nopales but we ate them at least once every day, to the point that one guest, when offered a pickled nopalito at Contramar said, I'm officially sick of cactus paddles! Part of this was because we were with people who process xoconstle (sour prickly pears) and lovers of nopales. The best nopal dish was a salad with the cactus cut into many teeny little squares, all perfect, bathed in olive oil and queso fresco.

Edited September 22, 2011 by rancho_gordo (log)

[janeer]

To have someone come up to you and say their own country barely values what you do and thank you for coming all this way to validate what I do is pretty powerful.

Everything looks like a wonderful time, and yes, this is the kind of experience that gives purpose to what you do, and to what they do. Recognition for preserving values and standards is very important.