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- 1
Mix the rub
Combine the black pepper, kosher salt, and garlic powder in a bowl. That's it. Beef cheek is a rich, beefy cut and it doesn't need a sweet rub fighting the bark. Simple salt, pepper, garlic is all it wants.
- 2
Trim and season
Trim every bit of external fat and silverskin off the cheeks. This cut is lean and dense, and you want rub sitting on meat, not on fat that won't render. Rub them lightly with a little oil so the seasoning grabs, then coat both sides generously with the rub.
- 3
Fire the smoker to 250-275F
Get your smoker running clean at 250-275F. I run oak or pecan on cheeks for a deep, steady smoke, and I'll add a chunk of cherry when I want more color on the bark. You want thin blue smoke, not a billowing white bonfire.
- 4
Smoke naked until mahogany
Set the cheeks on the grate and smoke them bare for about 3 hours, until the bark sets up a deep mahogany color and they hit around 170F internal. Don't rush this part. The bark you build now is the flavor later.
- 5
Boat them in ginger beer
Move the cheeks to a foil pan and pour in the ginger beer, then scatter the brown sugar over the top. The ginger beer steams them tender and its sweetness balances the beef. Cover the pan tight with foil and put it back on the smoker.
- 6
Make the salsa
While the cheeks braise, dice the tomatoes and finely dice the red onion. Mince the garlic clove and chop the cilantro. Combine them, then dress with the juice of the lime and the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and keep it cold until serving.
- 7
Cook to probe-tender
Let them ride another 2-3 hours. Start probing around 200F. You're done when the probe slides in like it's going through warm butter, usually 203-210F. Cook to feel, not just the number on the thermometer. A cheek that fights the probe isn't ready.
- 8
Rest and shred
Pull the pan and let the cheeks rest 20-30 minutes before you touch them. Then shred the meat with two forks right in the braising juices so it soaks everything back up. Pile it on warm corn tortillas and top with the cold salsa. That's real barbacoa, no shortcuts.
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Smoked Beef Cheek Barbacoa
Created by: SmokeRingSteve
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef cheeks
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 12 oz ginger beer
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 8 corn tortillas
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 garlic
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the rubCombine the black pepper, kosher salt, and garlic powder in a bowl. That's it. Beef cheek is a rich, beefy cut and it doesn't need a sweet rub fighting the bark. Simple salt, pepper, garlic is all it wants.
- Trim and seasonTrim every bit of external fat and silverskin off the cheeks. This cut is lean and dense, and you want rub sitting on meat, not on fat that won't render. Rub them lightly with a little oil so the seasoning grabs, then coat both sides generously with the rub.
- Fire the smoker to 250-275FGet your smoker running clean at 250-275F. I run oak or pecan on cheeks for a deep, steady smoke, and I'll add a chunk of cherry when I want more color on the bark. You want thin blue smoke, not a billowing white bonfire.
- Smoke naked until mahoganySet the cheeks on the grate and smoke them bare for about 3 hours, until the bark sets up a deep mahogany color and they hit around 170F internal. Don't rush this part. The bark you build now is the flavor later.
- Boat them in ginger beerMove the cheeks to a foil pan and pour in the ginger beer, then scatter the brown sugar over the top. The ginger beer steams them tender and its sweetness balances the beef. Cover the pan tight with foil and put it back on the smoker.
- Make the salsaWhile the cheeks braise, dice the tomatoes and finely dice the red onion. Mince the garlic clove and chop the cilantro. Combine them, then dress with the juice of the lime and the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and keep it cold until serving.
- Cook to probe-tenderLet them ride another 2-3 hours. Start probing around 200F. You're done when the probe slides in like it's going through warm butter, usually 203-210F. Cook to feel, not just the number on the thermometer. A cheek that fights the probe isn't ready.
- Rest and shredPull the pan and let the cheeks rest 20-30 minutes before you touch them. Then shred the meat with two forks right in the braising juices so it soaks everything back up. Pile it on warm corn tortillas and top with the cold salsa. That's real barbacoa, no shortcuts.