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Beef cheek barbacoa tacos on dark ceramic plate with white onion, cilantro, radish, and lime wedges

Beef Cheek Barbacoa Tacos

Beef cheeks braised low and slow in a dried chile and chipotle sauce, shredded and served in warm corn tortillas with classic toppings.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and Braise
  • 1.2 kg beef cheeks, trimmed of silver skin ask butcher to trim, or do it yourself with a sharp boning knife
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil vegetable or avocado oil
  • 500 ml beef broth, low-sodium
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Chile Sauce
  • 4 whole dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 whole dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 peppers plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce chipotles in adobo
  • 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, Mexican if available
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 bay leaves removed before blending
For Serving
  • 20 small corn tortillas double-stacked, 2 per taco
  • 0.5 medium white onion, finely diced
  • 30 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 3 limes cut into wedges
  • 6 sliced radishes optional
  • to taste salsa verde store-bought or homemade

Method
 

Toast and Soak the Chiles
  1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 30 seconds per side until they puff slightly and smell fragrant. Do not let them scorch or the sauce will taste bitter.
  2. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes until fully softened, then drain and discard the soaking water.
Blend the Chile Sauce
  1. Add the soaked chiles, chipotles and adobo sauce, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and 250 ml of the beef broth to a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth.
  2. Pass the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the solids with a spoon. Discard the skins left in the sieve. Set the strained sauce aside.
Sear the Beef Cheeks
  1. Preheat your oven to 150 C / 300 F.
  2. Pat the beef cheeks dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and black pepper.
  3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until just smoking. Sear the beef cheeks in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.
Braise
  1. Pour the strained chile sauce into the Dutch oven over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add the remaining 250 ml beef broth, apple cider vinegar, and bay leaves. Return the seared beef cheeks to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
  3. Bring to a low simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 3.5 hours until the beef cheeks are completely tender and a fork slides in with no resistance.
Shred and Reduce
  1. Remove the beef cheeks from the braising liquid and transfer to a cutting board. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  2. Use two forks to shred the beef into chunky pieces. It should pull apart easily with minimal effort.
  3. Place the Dutch oven with the braising liquid over medium-high heat. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.
  4. Return the shredded beef to the reduced sauce and stir to coat. Taste and adjust salt. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Warm Tortillas and Serve
  1. Warm corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry cast-iron skillet for 30 to 45 seconds per side until they have small char spots and are pliable.
  2. Double-stack two tortillas per taco. Spoon a generous amount of shredded beef cheek onto each pair. Top with diced white onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and salsa verde. Serve immediately.

Notes

Beef cheeks vary in size - if yours are particularly large (over 400 g each), add 30 extra minutes to the braise time and check for tenderness with a fork before shredding.