Chef Erasmo Casiano, co-owner of Xiquita Restaurante y Bar in Uptown, brings his ancestral Mexican fare to the kitchen in episode seven of Chef’n It, the monthly cooking series from Behind the Apron Media.
The new episode aired last Thursday, March 12, with Casiano showcasing his Barbacoa Casera Sopes, a homemade take on the Barbacoa de Lengua served at Xiquita. While the restaurant version features beef tongue, his recipe swaps in chuck roast, making it easier to recreate at home. He also guides host Tarah Runco through shaping sopes from masa made in-house at Xiquita, and showcasing the nixtamalization process, a foundational technique in Mexican cuisine.
“Some of the techniques we use in our kitchen date back thousands of years,” said Casiano. “Including the nixtamal program we have with our masa.”
The Many Hats of Chef Erasmo Casiano
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Casiano discovered his love for hospitality at an early age, inspired by his parents’ dinner parties. He has been cooking professionally for more than 25 years, though it took him 22 of those years to fully dive into Mexican cuisine and the ancestral recipes that guide his menus at Xiquita Restaurante y Bar and Lucina Eatery & Bar, where he serves as owner and chef. He also founded Create Kitchen & Bar at Stanley Marketplace, a cooking school offering classes in a variety of cuisines.
For Casiano, each of his restaurants are deeply personal. Lucina is named after his mother, and Xiquita comes from his father’s term of endearment for her. He speaks three languages, English, Spanish, and American Sign Language, and approaches cooking as a form of communication that transcends words.
A self-described “food nerd,” he is fascinated by the science behind nixtamalization, the ancient Mesoamerican process of soaking and cooking corn with lime to transform it into masa. One of his main goals, he said, centers on sharing his culture through cuisine.
As a father, teacher, and chef, Casiano believes hospitality extends beyond the dining room, caring not only for guests but also for the people in the kitchen. During filming, he paused multiple times to notice the sights, smells, and sounds unfolding.
“The chilis are singing,” he said, as host Tarah Runco and the crew coughed and wiped tears from their eyes while the set filled with a smoky, spicy haze. For Casiano, that sensory immersion is central to the process.
“I wish more people enjoyed the process of cooking,” he added. “That’s part of why I wanted to do this show.”
Chef Erasmo Casiano’s Barbacoa Casera Sopes
Episode seven features Casiano’s Barbacoa Casera Sopes, a tribute to ancestral Mexican technique. Chuck roast is slow-roasted in a maguey leaf–lined dutch oven with onion, garlic, toasted chile ancho and chile chipotle, and warm spices until tender and deeply flavorful. Once cooked, the meat is chopped machaca-style, ready to be served on a sope with salsa verde.
Casiano also highlights Pinche Salsa Macha, a Colorado-made salsa created by Rene Gonzalez Mendez, which brings bold Mexican flavors and a touch of smoky heat.
Casiano brought his own red clay “platos de barro” from home to plate the ingredients, adding another layer of authenticity and storytelling to the experience.
Viewers can also look forward to a follow-up feature on Behind the Apron Media’s YouTube channel, where Casiano shows how the restaurant prepares its Barbacoa de Lengua in Xiquita’s kitchen and walks viewers through the process of nixtamalization, from soaking and cooking the corn to grinding, pressing, and shaping the masa into sopes.
Celebrating time-honored techniques, Casiano teaches how tradition enhances not only flavor, but nutrition and cultural connection, inviting viewers to experience the full depth of Mexican culinary tradition. Find the recipe now on ChefnIt.com.
Inside Xiquita Restaurante y Bar
Xiquita Restaurante y Bar blends ancestral Mexican cuisine with modern design in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood. The restaurant features an open kitchen, vibrant murals, and a sleek bar and dining room alive with energy.
Nixtamalization is central to the restaurant’s identity. All tortillas are made in-house daily, and the menu celebrates Indigenous Mexican traditions with bold, masa-forward dishes that invite diners to rethink what Mexican cuisine can be. Each plate serves as both nourishment and narrative, bridging past and present. It also serves a great happy hour.
Watch Episode Seven of Chef’n It
Hosted by Behind the Apron Media founder Tarah Runco, Chef’n It is a monthly YouTube series that goes beyond the plate to share the heart, technique, and stories behind Colorado’s top culinary talent. Each episode offers an approachable recipe of the restaurant’s signature dish made to inspire home cooks.
Watch episode seven now at ChefnIt.com or on Behind the Apron Media’s YouTube channel.
