30

No, it has to be petty much all meat, not a stew with onions (or with onions, mushrooms, mushrooms and wine). But I bet a Mexican would call a piece of slow steamed meat barbacoa even if it were completely unseasoned.

In any case, unless we ask, we won't know what the author thinks barbacoa, lengua, mollejas, etc are.

31

I've had many Mexican barbacoa meals and I have yet to find one that's smokey.
Birria, a seasoned form of barbacoa, is my favorite, but regular barbacoa de borrego (mutton) is good, too.

Then there're tacos de cabeza, which is birria made from cow's heads. Delicous if greasy.

Speaking generally, barbacoa served in its distilled consomé usually has some garbanzos in it, but birria is usually vegetable free. Except that of Birria Don Prisci's, in Pátzcuaro, which has diced vegetables in it, such as carrots, potatoes and green beans. (I'm betting that it's frozen vegs.) I may have some tomorrow for breakfast.