Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue by Brandon Hurtado

June 10, 2026 BBQGRAIL Page To Plate 0

barbecue barbacoaIf you walked into my home, the first thing you’d probably notice is my love for food culture. My bookshelves are packed with almost 500 cookbooks. If you look closer, you’ll see that about two hundred of them focus on live fire, barbecue, and grilling.

For years, I thought my collection was complete, filled with the classic flavors of Kansas City, the Carolinas, the Deep South, and Central Texas. I thought I had seen it all. Then I found Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue, and I realized I was missing a big part of American food culture. This is the first major cookbook to truly celebrate a Hispanic-influenced Tex-Mex low-and-slow barbecue tradition, and it feels incredibly refreshing.

Brandon Hurtado is the driving force behind this movement, and his story grabbed my attention right away. He taught himself everything he knows and now owns Hurtado Barbecue. If anyone is making waves in the barbecue world right now, it’s Brandon. His restaurants around the Dallas-Fort Worth area have already been named among Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints and Southern Living’s 50 Best Barbecue Restaurants in the South.

The Birth of “Mexicue” Barbecue

It’s rare to see someone create a new style of food, but that’s what Brandon has done. Many people credit him with starting and spreading the movement called “Mexicue.”
At its core, Mexicue brings together the best of two cultures:
  • The Technique: Wood-fired, low-and-slow smoking methods from Central Texas.
  • The Flavor: Bright, bold, and traditional spices from Mexican heritage.
What I love most about Barbacoa is that it’s not just a basic how-to or a dry recipe book. To me, it feels like a personal journey through food memories. It tells the story of an underdog, someone with no formal restaurant training or experience, who made his dream come true. You get to see Brandon’s journey from running a small food truck and weekend pop-ups to owning a well-known chain of barbecue restaurants. It’s a story about passion, hard work, and late nights spent cooking over the fire.

Inside the Pages

The book is a beautiful addition to any shelf. With over 230 pages, it’s filled with rich, mouth-watering photos that almost let you smell the post oak smoke coming off the page.
Brandon has organized the recipes into four clear, easy-to-follow sections:
  1. Rubs and Sauces: These are the basics of flavor, using earthy chiles and cumin instead of the usual brown sugars.
  2. Side Dishes: Classic barbecue sides with a bright, zesty twist.
  3. Smoked Meats: Step-by-step guides for brisket, ribs, and pork.
  4. Tacos Y Mas: Where you can wrap that perfect smoked meat in a warm tortilla.

As someone who loves to cook outside, I’m excited that many of these recipes come straight from Hurtado’s restaurant menu. Looking through the book makes me want to start up my smoker, and it feels like I’m joining Brandon in his backyard, sharing a beverage and learning new barbecue secrets. This book has renewed my passion for outdoor cooking, and it now has a special place on my crowded bookshelf.

Brandon shares two recipes, taken from the pages of “Barbacoa.”

AFFILIATE LINKS

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