Barbacoa tacos are a way of life throughout Texas. Around these parts, they are commonly made with beef cheeks. When cooked right, beef cheeks come out super tender and jam-packed with flavor! Put your barbacoa in a nice warm tortilla and prepare to have a new favorite taco!

Instructions

1. Combine salt and pepper in a shaker for easy application. Unwrap beef cheeks and trim excess fat and silver skin off the meat.

2. Rub down the meat with olive oil for a binder and season evenly with your salt/pepper mixture.

3. Start working on getting the fire going and your smoker up to 275 F. Once your smoker is at 275 F you can add a water pan to the side of your grill that is closest to the fire. This will help with keeping your beef cheeks moist. Center the beef cheeks on the middle of the grill and let the smoker do the work.

4. Once the beef cheeks have reached around 165 F internal temp it is time to braise (this should be around the 3-hour mark).

5. Apply a layer of onion slices to the bottom of an aluminum pan. Set your beef cheeks on top of the layer of onions.

6. Carefully pour the beef broth into the pan and make sure to cover the pan completely with aluminum foil.

7. Put the pan back into the smoker and continue to maintain a temperature of 275 F.

8. Once the beef cheeks have reached an internal temp between 203-205 F it is time to take them off the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes. The beef cheeks should be very tender and falling apart when probed.

9. After the beef cheeks have rested for 10 minutes inside of the pan it is time to remove them from the pan and shred them on a cutting board.

10. Once your barbacoa is all shredded go ahead and fill your tortillas with the delicious meat and serve with diced onions and cilantro!

Enjoy your barbacoa tacos with your family and friends!