Cheeky Recipe

Trim and season

Pat the beef cheeks dry with paper towels. Trim excess silver skin or large bits of fat if present. Rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then evenly season with 1.5 tbs kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Let rest at room temperature 20–30 minutes while preparing smoker or oven.

Smoke (or roast) low and slow

Preheat smoker to 225°F (107°C) using hickory or oak for a robust smoke flavor. Place cheeks on the smoker fat-side up and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C), about 3–4 hours depending on thickness and smoke rate. If you don't have a smoker, preheat oven to 275°F (135°C) and roast on a rack for a similar time to develop color.

Braise until tender

Prepare a braising pan or Dutch oven. Place the smoked cheeks into the pan with 2 cups beef stock, halved yellow onion, 4 smashed garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf and 3 sprigs thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to a 300°F (150°C) oven — or keep on very low heat on the stovetop — and braise until fork-tender, about 2–3 hours. Alternatively, continue in the smoker if it has a closed-braising capability. Check after 90 minutes; when a fork slides in easily and meat starts to pull, it’s ready.

Shred and reduce braising liquid

Remove cheeks to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Reserve braising liquid. Using two forks, shred the cheeks into bite-sized pieces, discarding bay leaf and thyme stems. Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the braising liquid into the shredded meat to keep it moist — you can simmer the remaining liquid on the stovetop to concentrate it into a glossy sauce (reduce over medium heat 6–8 minutes until slightly thickened). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Prepare vegetables

Thinly slice green and red cabbage to yield about 5 cups combined. Julienne the carrot. Place cabbage and carrot in a heatproof bowl or jar large enough to hold the vegetables and pickling liquid.

Make pickling brine

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tbs granulated sugar, 1 tbs kosher salt, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pickle the slaw

Pour the hot brine over the sliced cabbage and carrot so vegetables are fully submerged. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (preferably 4 hours or overnight) to develop tang and soften the cabbage slightly. Drain before assembling tacos; reserve a tablespoon of pickling liquid to moisten slaw if desired.

Warm tortillas

Heat a skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of each corn tortilla lightly with the 1 tbs oil. Warm tortillas in batches, about 20–30 seconds per side, until pliable and slightly charred at the edges. Keep warm wrapped in a clean towel.

Assemble tacos

Place 1–2 heaping tablespoons of shredded smoked beef cheek on each warm tortilla (use roughly 12 tortillas for 4 servings). Top each with a generous pinch of pickled cabbage slaw (about 1/4 cup per taco), a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco (about 1–2 tbs), and a few pickled jalapeño slices if using. Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime over each taco.

Serve

Serve immediately while cheeks are warm and tortillas are pliable. Offer any remaining braising reduction on the side for drizzling. Leftover shredded cheeks keep refrigerated up to 3 days.