Asado en penca: what it is and how maguey roasting works

What is it?

Roasting in maguey leaf is a pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican technique that consists of wrapping meats, fish or vegetables in the leaves or cuticles of the pulque maguey and cooking them over embers, in an earth pit, on a comal or in an oven. The leaf provides moisture, a herbal-vegetal flavour and prevents the meat from drying out or burning. It is the basis of emblematic preparations such as mixiote (meat marinated in the transparent cuticle of the leaf), pit barbacoa, Hidalgo ximbó (marinated meat wrapped in a whole leaf), trout in maguey leaf, nopales roasted directly on the leaf, and various ritual roasts of the central highlands. The technique is closely linked to the maguey regions of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Querétaro and Oaxaca, where the cultivation of the pulque agave (Agave salmiana, A. mapisaga, A. atrovirens) has sustained civilisations for more than 3,500 years.

Origin and history

Cooking in maguey leaf is a pre-Hispanic technique documented since the sixteenth century by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún in the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España, where he describes how the Mexica wrapped deer, rabbits, fish and vegetables in leaves to cook them in pits or on comales. The maguey or metl was a sacred plant linked to the goddess Mayahuel, deity of pulque, and all its elements (aguamiel, pulque, fibres, spines, leaves, flower stalks) had diverse uses. The Florentine and Mendoza codices illustrate preparations with leaves. The mixiote technique, specifically, consists of separating the transparent cuticle of the leaf (called 'mixiotl' in Nahuatl), in which marinated meat is wrapped to boil or steam. According to Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido, the mixiote cuticle was a valuable resource of the highlands until the 1980s, when SEMARNAT banned its commercial extraction owing to irreversible damage to the maguey, which dies if its cuticle is removed. Today traditional mixiote is made with wax paper or aluminium, although some artisanal Hidalgo producers still use real cuticle under regulations. Pit barbacoa, ximbó (a large tamal wrapped in a whole leaf, not in cuticle), and other regional variants have survived without the restrictions of traditional mixiote.

Characteristic ingredients

The maguey-leaf cooking technique has precise variants depending on the dish. For traditional mixiote: 1) The transparent cuticle (mixiotl) is separated from a fresh leaf with a sharp knife. 2) It is cut into 20-25 cm squares. 3) Marinated meat (mutton, beef, chicken, rabbit) marinated with guajillo, ancho and pasilla chilli, vinegar, garlic and spices is placed in the centre. 4) It is tied like a little pouch with ixtle or pita thread. 5) It is steamed for 2-3 hours or cooked in an earth pit for 6-8 hours. For Hidalgo ximbó: 1) A whole fleshy maguey leaf is taken, cleaned, beaten to soften it and lightly roasted on the comal. 2) A pot or pan is lined with the leaf, leaving the edges hanging. 3) It is filled with marinated meat (lamb, chicken or pork) and vegetables (nopales, potatoes, carrot, avocado leaves). 4) The edges of the leaf are closed over to cover everything. 5) It is cooked in the oven or over embers for 2-3 hours. For nopales in maguey leaf: tender nopales are simply roasted directly on the leaf spread on the comal, which gives them a herbal aroma. The leaf adds moisture through its fleshiness, an aniseed-vegetal, slightly bitter flavour, and a unique scent imparted to the meat. Avocado leaves, epazote and hierba santa are frequently added.

Cultural significance

Cooking in maguey leaf is a heritage technique of the central highlands and part of the UNESCO dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010. The defence of the pulque maguey, a key plant for this technique, is a fundamental contemporary cause in the face of the monoculture of the blue tequila agave and urban threats. States such as Hidalgo and Tlaxcala have implemented state maguey-rescue programmes. The Maguey and Pulque Route in Hidalgo connects restored pulque haciendas such as San Antonio Ometusco, Soltepec and San Cristóbal Polaxtla, where gastronomic experiences in maguey leaf are offered. Festivals such as the Maguey and Pulque Fair in Apan and the Mixiote Fair in Tlaxcala promote the technique. Traditional cooks and urban pulque movements (Pulquería Las Duelistas, La Pirata) have taken the flavours of maguey to a young urban audience. Restaurants such as Pujol, Quintonil and Em Restaurante use the technique in their contemporary cooking, presenting mixiotes and ximbós in refined dishes. The conservation of maguey also has an ecological component: it prevents erosion, captures CO2 and sustains a biodiversity of pollinators such as bats.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mixiote and ximbó?

Traditional mixiote is wrapped in the transparent cuticle of the maguey (called mixiotl in Nahuatl), forming small individual pouches of 200-300 g with marinated meat steamed. Hidalgo ximbó uses the whole, fleshy leaf to wrap a large quantity of meat and vegetables like a big tamal, cooked in the oven or over embers. Owing to environmental restrictions, modern mixiote today uses wax paper instead of real cuticle.

Why does the maguey leaf add flavour?

The leaf contains compounds such as saponins, sapogenins and essential oils that are released with heat. These compounds impart a herbal-vegetal, aniseed flavour, slightly bitter and sweet, unique in world cooking. The natural moisture of the leaf (75-85% water) prevents the meat from drying out and creates a controlled steam-cooking environment. The process also partly caramelises the plant's sugars.

Can mixiote be made without maguey leaf?

Yes, today this is the most common owing to environmental restrictions. Wax paper or aluminium foil is used to wrap the marinated meat, which protects during steaming but does not provide the herbal flavour of the maguey. Some artisanal producers in Hidalgo still use real cuticle under special regulations, and premium restaurants can obtain it legally. The result with paper is similar but without the distinctive maguey flavour.

Where does cooking in maguey leaf come from?

It originates in Mesoamerica, specifically the central Mexican highlands where the pulque maguey has grown and been cultivated for more than 3,500 years. It was documented in the sixteenth century by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún in his Historia general. Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Querétaro and Oaxaca are the regions that keep the technique alive, with variants such as mixiote, ximbó and pit barbacoa.