Barbacoa is a preHispanic slow cooking method where meat is covered by plantain or maguey leaves, cooked underground in pits and covered with stones to achieve high temperatures. Historic documents show mentions of barbacoa since 1518* and in the preHispanic Mexico barbacoa was used to cook birds, deer and fish. During colonization Spaniards introduced sheep, cattle and pigs adding new flavours to preHispanic Mexican cooking.