Make! Beef cheeks 3 ways #2: Beef barbacoa tacos

Yes, I have been cooking beef cheeks again! As promised this is the 2nd way I dreamed up of cooking this cut of beef. In fact, we discovered that Mexican 'barbacoa' or barbecue style beef is often made using the cheeks of the cow.

To feed 6 people generously (this was a feast!) I'd recommend cooking 4 beef cheeks. I preheated my fan oven to 130 degrees C (150 might be better for a non-fan oven) and placed the meat in a deep baking tray. Then I poured over a sauce which consisted of the following:

1 pint beef stock

juice of 3 limes

2 tbspn cider vinegar

1 jar Asda chipotle chilli paste (100g)

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp cumin

2 tspn smoked paprika

1 tbspn garlic infused olive oil (or just use some crushed garlic/garlic powder)

Then I covered this with foil and cooked it in the oven for just about the whole day! It was in for about 7 hours. Once it was cooked to the point of almost falling apart, I took it out and let it rest for 20 minutes. I then shredded the meat using two forks and mixed it into the sauce, returning it to the oven for 30 minutes minus the foil. Voila, it was ready to serve!

I served the beef and tacos with guacamole, salsa (with lots of fresh coriander!), soured cream and cheese. Don't forget lime wedges and hot sauce to really elevate the flavours!

This went down very well as our Sunday dinner! I will be back soon (just one last time) with another beef cheeks recipe.