Smoked Beef Cheeks

Method

1. Trim the cheeks

   Remove the thick silverskin and any hard sinew from the outside. The inside is pure collagen, which is what you want; the hard outer membrane never softens.

2. Season simply

   Equal parts coarse salt and pepper on all sides, like a small brisket. Add a little garlic powder if you like.

3. Smoke at 135°C (275°F)

   On the indirect side or in a bullet smoker at 135°C (275°F) with the wood on. Cheeks are small, so they take on smoke quickly.

4. Wrap through the stall

   Once the bark is dark and set, around 75°C (165°F), wrap in foil with a splash of stock to push through the stall and keep them moist.

5. Cook to probe-tender

   Back on until they hit around 95°C (205°F) and a probe slides in with no resistance. Rest 30 minutes, then slice thickly or shred. They are extraordinarily rich.

Notes worth knowing

• Beef cheeks are cheap and criminally underused. Ask your butcher; they often have them.
• Shredded, they make the best beef tacos or a ragu you will ever eat.
• Because they are small and pure collagen, they are very forgiving; it is hard to overcook them.

Common questions

What do beef cheeks taste like?

Deep, rich, beefy, and once cooked low and slow, meltingly tender. They are all collagen, so they turn silky rather than stringy, somewhere between brisket and short rib.

Where do I buy beef cheeks?

From a butcher, who will usually have them or get them cheaply. They are not a common supermarket cut but are well worth asking for.