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Beef Cheeks Again!

OK, I'm a broken record on this. I'm encouraging folks to try beef cheeks if they haven't already. I get mine from Sam's Club, where they come in a cryovac package of 5 - 6 lbs.  I split the package in two and try to separate as much of the gristle, fat, and silverskin as I can before repackaging in foodsaver bags for later use. I usually end up with 2 - 3 lbs of cheeks (three or so cheeks per package). Freezing them trimmed makes it so much easier to use later.

Today I started with a package of three good-sized cheeks, a little over 2 ponds total. Into a foil pan and topped with about 3 Tbs of Oak Ridge Black Ops Brisket Rub sprinkled over, then in my AQ at 225F with 2.5 oz of pecan chunks (three smallish pieces). This is my (slight) adaptation of an old recipe here from AndyJ.

After 5 hours in the smoker, I took them out and covered the pan with foil (at this point they look dark brown and just a bit juicy), and into a 225F oven for another 5 hours (makes the house smell great). I start checking for "pullability" at around 4.5 hours in the oven. Today they were easily pullable at 5 hours. I pulled them and put back in the oven until serving. They were incredibly juicy and there was a good amount of great-tasting bark.

We had them on heated flour tortilllas with guacamole, hot fresh salsa, cilantro, lettuce, a bit of green chile sauce from our garden, and some Mexican crema. Ate them like burritos. The smoky beefiness of the cheeks is amazing. Far more flavorful than any brisket I've ever done. You should try them!

Last edited by jay1924
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