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Barbacoa de Res

Name: Barbacoa de Res
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lbs beef cheeks; 4 dried guajillo chiles; 2 dried ancho chiles; 2 chipotle chiles in adobo; 6 cloves garlic; 1 white onion; 1 tbsp Mexican oregano; 1 tsp cumin; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 cups beef broth; 2 maguey leaves; salt to taste

Barbacoa de Res reads umami 8.4, richness 6.4 and heat 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 4 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.7 / 10
Sour & Bright — 4.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 5.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.4 · Richness 6.4 · Heat 4.7 · Smoke 4.6 · Sourness 4.1 · Salinity 3.5 · Allium 3.5 · Earthy 3.3 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Sweetness 1.5 · Bitterness 1.4 · Funk & Ferment 1.3 · Floral 0.6 · Fruity 0.6

What's in it (12)

3 lbs beef cheeks
4 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
6 cloves garlic
1 white onion
1 tbsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp cumin
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups beef broth
2 maguey leaves
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 4 hr (20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 177.2 kcal, 17.1 g protein, 7 g fat, 11.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Blend rehydrated chiles with garlic, vinegar, and spices into a paste and rub all over the beef.
Wrap the meat in maguey or banana leaves, seal in a pot, and slow-cook for 6 to 8 hours until incredibly tender.
Shred the meat and serve in corn tortillas with the strained cooking broth on the side.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Chicken Fried Steak with Peppered Cream Gravy — Southern
Red Beans and Rice — Cajun/Creole
Texas-Style No-Bean Beef Chili — American
Gewürzte Schweinsrippchen (Braised Spicy Spareribs) — German
Tostadas de Tinga — Mexican

Keep reading: what umami, richness, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.