barbacoa

noun

bar·​ba·​coa ˌbär-bə-ˈkō-ə 

plural barbacoas

: a flavorful Mexican dish of shredded meat (such as beef, lamb, or goat) made by slow-cooking the meat in a marinade

Barbacoa as we know it today evolved in Mexico, where the most classic barbacoa is made in a natural oven dug into the ground, lined with heated rocks that cook meat enclosed in agave leaves, which keep the meat moist as it cooks.

—Andee Gosnell

… lunch on … barbacoa tacos of unctuous shredded beef packed into soft corn tortillas.

—Jane and Michael Stern

also : a food item made with barbacoa

For a greasier fix, try the barbacoas: beef tacos in a fried shell.

—Erika Stark

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Mexican Spanish, "barbecued meat, meat roasted in an earthen oven" — more at barbecue entry 2

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above