Ingredients

  • Pickled Onions
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 a beet
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • 1 part water
  • 2 parts cider vinegar
  • Barbacoa Beef Cheeks
  • 2 1/2 pounds beef cheeks
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
  • 1 ancho chili
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus 2 more for cooking)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chicken broth (you can use beef too, I just had chicken on hand)
  • 3 limes
  • 1 avocado
  • corn tortillas
  • fresh cilantro

Method

  • Slice the onions very thinly and put them in a microwaveable container. Add the beet, cilantro, salt and sugar. Cover everything with 1 part water to 2 parts vingar.
  • microwave for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for another minute. Cool, then refridgerate overnight. The beet will turn it a really pretty hot pink color.
  • Clean and trim the cheeks. Put them in a container that you can marinate them in.
  • Remove the stem and seeds from the ancho, cut it up into chunks and rehydrate in a little water (I stick it in a ramekin and microwave for 30 seconds)
  • Peel and chop the garlic. Put everything from the garlic to the salt in the food processor (including the water from the chili) and blend into a paste. Toss the paste with the cheeks and marinate for several hours or better yet over night.
  • When it is time to cook, heat the oven to 275, and heat 2 tbs olive oil in a dutch oven. Brown the cheeks on both sides. Use the broth to rinse the rest of the marinade into the dutch oven, then squeeze the juice of 3 limes in.
  • Bake at 275 for 3 1/2 hours - turn the cheeks over once or twice while they cook and if the liquid dries up add a bit more broth
  • When the cheeks are fall-apart tender, take the pan out of the oven. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart in the pan so that it mixes in with all of that fatty juicy goodness.
  • To serve - heat 2 tortillas (I like to double wrap the taco as they are juicy). Fill with barbacoa, a slice of avocado, some of pickled onions and fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!!!