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Adam Ag 98

Beef Cheek Barbacoa

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Hello all KKrs. It has been a while since I've posted but not for lack of cooking. 

Did my first beef cheeks this weekend for the purposes of a good old barbacoa taco.

Smoked at 260ish for 4 hours with only an S&P rub, leaning heavily on the fresh ground pepper. I made an adobo with guajillo and ancho chilis, onion, garlic, fresh graded cinnamon, dried mexican oregano, salt, and white vinegar, and water. Since I couldn't find wagyu beef cheek and took whatever was available at the store (I assume choice), I added about 1/2 a cup of wagyu tallow to the dutch oven as it started heating alongside the cheeks the last 30 minutes of the cheek smoke. Put the cheeks in the adobo in the KK after 4 hours. I realized 3 hours into the adobo braise I'd forgot to put the lid on the dutch oven so the sauce had cooked down a lot. I added a couple of cups of water, put the lid on, then continued the braise in the KK for another 1.5 hours, 4.5 total. Then shred the meat, scoop off some of the extra fat from the adobo, return meat to broth. Before serving I'd put the meat in a bowl and mash with a spoon to get the liquid to the surface, returning the liquid to the pot and leavingn the meat flatted in the bowl. Finished off with a fresh roasted tomatillo salsa that was fiery from the serano. Canned charro beans from HEB (they're fantastic - just add some S&P while heating).

Smokey, rich with fat, spicy (not hot) from the adobo sauce - it is perfection on a corn tortilla :) 

Lunch is going to kick-ass for the next few days!

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Edited by Adam Ag 98
left out an ingredient
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wow - this looks amazing! I am going to have to try to replicate very soon. 
This is probably a stupid question - so the dutch oven is in the KK with the lid on; i.e. aside from when you had the lid off by mistake it wasn't interacting with charcoal smoke? 
Did you use fresh or dried chilies (its a bit hard to get the fresh ones in Singapore - but I will try, I know where I can source the dried ones though)

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Howdy! Heat wave has abated for a bit. Friends on the west coast are baking right now though. I'm headed out that way next week. I'm hoping that it's better when I get there! Usual summertime activities here, especially grilling and beer drinking! Hope you have a great summer, too! 

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@Paul - Staying in the south SF Bay Area this time. No plans to come up to Napa. Heading over to the coast (Monterey & Santa Cruz) for several days. If I were headed up north, you'd be one of the first to know! Maybe next trip? 

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