Beef Barbacoa Tacos: Temp Tips for Ultra-Rich Results
Barbacoa tacos, based on those from Meat Church BBQ
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package fresh beef cheek about 3 lbs
- Your favorite BBQ seasoning
- 18 oz beef stock or broth
- 1 head of garlic roughly chopped
- 1 white onion chopped
- You'll also need a half-size steam pan or disposable aluminum pan and some foil.
For serving:
- Corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro
- Finely diced white onion
- Salsa of your choosing
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C). If using Billows BBQ Control Fan, set it up with your Smoke X4 or RFX GATEWAY and air probe to maintain that temp.
- Trim the beef cheeks to your liking.
- Season the beef cheeks well with the BBQ rub. Allow the seasoning to sit on the meat for a few minutes before you smoke them.
- Put a probe into the largest cheek section and set the high-temp alarm to 160°F (71°C). Smoke the cheeks! This step will take about 2–2-1/2 hours.
- When the beef gets up near the target temp, heat the beef broth.
- When the meat is fully at temp, place it into the pan with the onions and garlic and add the hot broth. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Insert a probe through the foil and set your high-temp alarm for 203°F (95°C). Put the pan back into the smoker and smoke to temp (about 4 more hours).
- When the high-temp alarm sounds, check that it is at the proper temperature throughout and that it is probe-tender using your Thermapen ONE.
- Allow the meat to rest in the pan for at least 15 minutes, during which time you can heat your tortillas and prepare your toppings.
- Shred the meat and taco up!
