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–+ servings
smoked beef cheeks sliced on a wooden cutting board

Smoked Beef Cheeks

Savor tender, flavorful slow-smoked beef cheeks. Perfectly smoked for rich, spicy goodness in every bite. Ideal for any special occasion!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: BBQ
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 703kcal
Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If using jerk paste apply liberally to the beef cheeks. Refrigerate and marinate overnight. If using alternative seasoning follow the same approach.
  • Prepare smoker for indirect cooking preheating the grill to cook between 225-250 degrees F.
  • Remove cheeks from refrigerator. Place cheeks on the grill grates and smoke at 250 for about 2 hours.
  • Remove from smoker and wrap tightly in butcher paper before adding back to the smoker and cooking another hour. You basically want to smoke until the target internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. Cheeks will reach internal temps of about 205 degrees while off heat.

Video

Notes

Trim the cheeks of excess fat. There will be a lot and if you don't trim it away you could end up netting more fat than beef after smoking.
Season as you see fit. I had some excess jerk marinade on hand so wanted to use it up before it went bad. Dry spice rubs are a great idea, especially any kind that you use for other beef recipes like brisket or oxtail.
Marinating adds deeper flavor so if you have time I definitely recommend adding this step. People get real creative with their marinades. Yellow mustard is somewhat common one as the acidity is a great tenderizer. But with all the fatty connective tissues and slow cooking you will not need much in the tenderizing component.
You don't want to cook beef cheeks directly over your heat source as they need time to cook. Indirect cooking over low heat is the way to go. For maximum tenderness you want to control temps so you stay under 250 degrees.
In my research I've seen recipes calling for a braising step where after smoking the cheeks are cook in a beef stock based liquid to maximize tenderness. Though I can see how you can add flavor with the step it is not necessary. That smoke gets it done along with the seasoning of choice.
Beef checks make for great leftovers as they are easy to reheat. I like them as filling for beef cheek tacos, quesadillas, and empanadas.
I serve these cut into smaller chunks. I'm not a fan of shredded beef cheeks unless they are part of another dish like nachos or something.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 703kcal | Protein: 94g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 1497mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 9mg
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