Barbacoa y Ximbó Señora Leo

Barbacoa y Ximbó Señora Leo, on Pensador Mexicano in central Actopan, is one of the town's best-known kitchens for the combination of barbacoa de hoyo, lamb slow-cooked in an underground pit, and ximbó, a related Hidalgo dish of chicken or rabbit wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked alongside the barbacoa in the same pit. The pairing of the two dishes under one roof distinguishes it from Actopan's many barbacoa-only stands. Consomé de borrego, the broth rendered during the pit-cooking process, is served alongside both dishes and is itself a draw for regulars. The setting is a casual, family-run comedor, with simple tables, no wine or cocktail program, and an operating schedule limited to Friday through Sunday mornings, in keeping with the traditional weekend rhythm of barbacoa preparation in the region. No reservation system exists, and dishes typically sell out once the pit's supply is exhausted for the day, making earlier visits more reliable. Actopan is broadly considered one of the heartlands of Hidalgo barbacoa, and this kitchen's combination of barbacoa and ximbó gives visitors a way to sample two of the region's defining pit-cooked dishes in a single stop.