ETHNIC COOKING : Mexico in L.A. : Barbacoa: Sloppy Joses

Berta Plantillas’ barbacoa (Mexican barbecued beef) is a cook’s dream. It’s easy to make, calls for ingredients that supermarkets carry and tastes terrific. Add beans, rice, salad, salsa and hot tortillas and you have a fabulous party menu.

Plantillas devised the recipe herself, adding a surprise ingredient: American style barbecue sauce, which contributes a touch of sweetness. For condiments, she suggests chopped cilantro, onion and a really spicy salsa made with dried arbol chiles.

Plantillas and her husband, Manuel, own La Carreta restaurant on Brooklyn Avenue in Los Angeles. They serve the barbacoa there, along with other dishes that Plantillas has devised.

A native of Colima, Mexico, Plantillas once worked in the banquet department of a Mexico City hotel. She’s a Montebello resident now, active in groups involved in the arts and education (including the Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the Cultural Arts Committee of East Los Angeles College and the Jaime Escalante Foundation). She also demonstrates cookery on KMEX Channel 34. Here is her recipe.

BARBACOA A LA CARRETA

5 pounds beef chuck roast

Water

1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled

Salt

1 cup canned red chile sauce

1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/4 cup canned serrano chiles, with liquid

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano

Pepper

Chopped onion

Chopped cilantro

Salsa de Chile Arbol

Cut meat into 4 large chunks and place in Dutch oven. Add water to just cover, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until tender when tested with fork. Drain meat, cool and remove any fat.

Place meat in roaster or other large deep baking pan. Combine red chile sauce, barbecue sauce, 3 cups water, onion, chiles, bay leaves, oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over meat, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees 1 1/2 hours. Accompany meat with chopped onion, cilantro and Salsa de Chile Arbol. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Recipe may be doubled and may be prepared day in advance of serving.

Salsa de Chile Arbol

5 dried arbol chiles

2 tomatoes

Salt

Grill chiles until darkened slightly. Remove stems but not seeds. Grill tomatoes until browned and peel. Place chiles and tomatoes in molcajete and crush to salsa consistency. Season to taste with salt. Makes about 2 cups.