Barbacoa has gotten so expensive the last few years I’ve been trying to make my own. The first swing I bought a good cut of cheek meat at HEB. My first mistake I think was not trimming most of the fat out of it and then seering it. I cut it up and crock potted it until it stopped bawling. It was ok at best. I probably could have pan fried it to suck some moisture out but by that day my palate had changed. How do you prep and cook it? Thanks in advance.
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I want to try it. Was gonna smoke it for a while and then put in a beef consume until it's shreds. -
I just made some. I smoked it for about 3-4hrs at 200 then put it in a foil pan with onion,garlic, beef broth for about 7 hrs. It was super tender. I took it out of the liquid and shredded it into another container.
Note: I didn’t really trim any of it I just separated the fat after I cooked it.
after some onion, cilantro, and fresh salsa it was as good as any I’ve had in the past.Attached FilesComment
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Trim some of the big pieces but also cooking a tounge(lean meat) with it and pealing chopping and mixing it is what I do. Salt, pepper, quartered onion wrapped and in the ground overnight.Comment
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I was going to add a tongue but dang they were like 30$ at my heb…Originally posted by Etxnoodler View PostComment
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enough salsa, garlic and onions will make almost anything taste good
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I paid 4 bucks a lb for 7lbs of cheek meat at Sam's.
after I trimmed the white fat, i was left with almost 4lbs.
it's cheaper to go to the local Mexican grocery store and buy it already cooked.
But when I do make it, I add fresh onions, garlic, beef broth and put it in a crackpot for 8 hours on low
Always comes out perfectComment
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I buy the cheeks at HEB. Typically around $10-12 per pack but half the weight is fat/gristle to be removed. A tip i've learned is that bigger packs of meat are not better. Just full of more crap to trim off. The smaller packs are typically less waste/better deal. I think there's higher variability in the trimming of this gnarly cut than there is between cheek size cow-to-cow.
- trim fat and gristle while trying to keep cheek into big a piece as possible. By far the hardest, most time consuming part but done well makes all the difference.
- I season and put all meat trimmings inside bigger piece and truss into one ball. then season outside.
- couple hours on the smoke until good color
- put into foil tray with beef tallow and back onto the grill, covered, (or oven) to confit for another 2-3hrs. You want as much of meat submerged as possible.
- Shred for tacos and serve on CORN tortilla with cilantro, green onion, and lime. Just missing some scrambled eggs for Sunday Breakfast!
Alternatively, you could allow the cheeks to cool after coming off the smoker. Then sous vide, relatively high, for a long long time with tallow. Uses a fraction of the tallow this way but takes way longer since lesser heat.
Just like brisket, ribs, or pulled pork, there's a fine line where you need to pull it before the consistency turns to mush. Still want some "bite" to the meat and don't want it soupy... Not birria. That's the "secret/trick" that separates from crockpot barbacoa.
No it isn't "authentic" barbacoa but as close to it as possible without digging a hole and buying a whole head. Guess you could toss a chunk of maguey leaf under the foil to get a bit closer...
Screen shots from shredding video don't do it justice... It's a crowd favorite.Attached FilesLast edited by BlackHogDown; 06-19-2024, 07:09 AM.Comment
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Man I'm hungry nowComment
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Why don't you do a head. We used to do one a couple times a year at the fire station. No spices. Put in a paper sack and a covered turkey roasting pan over night at 250.Comment
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Here it is, and I sold it for a living and did very well at it.
dont trim the fat, just trim any lip or thick cheek skin.
put it on a smoker at 350 for 3hrs season it with garlic,salt,pepper, and fajita season if you want
lay a bed of onions in a deep pan (foil pan is fine) add a couple cloves of garlic, dry guajillo peppers and chili de arbol peppers. Add enough beef stock to cover onions and then add barbacoa to pan. Add tomatillo salsa or peppers on top and cover. Put back on smoker or oven at 350 for 3hrs!!!
pull and shred. EAT!Comment
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I smoke mine on the pit for a little while . I rub it down with gochujang seasoning. After that I cook it in the crock pot or pressure cooker . I will add some dried guajillo peppers when cooking. After it’s cooked I will add the salt it needs . To me it needs lots of salt .Comment
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