61:) which are washed and wrapped in foil unseasoned. A brick-lined pit is heated with mesquite coals and the foil packets are stacked in it, 40 to 90 at a time, then buried while they roast for eight hours. Because of health codes Vera's as of 2022 is unique in serving barbacoa made using this traditional method commercially because they are
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by the James Beard
Foundation. When the Beard Foundation called to inform Vera of the award, he hung up on them twice, thinking they were trying to scam him; he stopped answering the phone and the foundation had to call Brownsville mayor Trey Mendez to contact Vera and convince him the award was
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Production is a once-a-week process that culminates on weekends. Vera gathers ingredients on
Wednesdays, does prep work Thursdays, starts cooking Fridays, and serves Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant uses whole cow heads (minus the brain since 2005 because of concerns over
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Alberto and Carmen Vera sold barbacoa from their home and opened the restaurant in 1955. Their son
Armando Vera was born in 1960 and eventually took over. According to the James Beard Foundation, the methods they use date to the
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The dish consists of a cow's head which is pit-smoked. Various parts such as the cheek, tongue, and eyes are sold separately as well as a pulled mixture of the remaining meats. The restaurant also offers other traditional
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dishes and brisket. Accompaniments consists of tortillas to make tacos and garnishes, and there are no side dishes. Local business is carryout; according to
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the restaurant was as of 2022 the only commercial entity in Texas serving barbacoa made with the traditional
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The prophets of smoked meat : a journey through Texas barbecue
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302:. Nicholas McWhirter. New York. pp. 163–166, 171–172, 353.
204:"Behind Backyard Bar-B-Que's James Beard Award-Winning Barbacoa"
132:"James Beard Foundation Names 6 Restaurants 'American Classics'"
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272:"A Visit to Vera's, the Last Bastion of Barbacoa de Cabeza"
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only those from outside the area eat at the restaurant.
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224:"Announcing the 2020 America's Classics Winners"
16:Restaurant in Brownsville, Texas, United States
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