Chef Ponzio

Fall apart beef cheeks… have you ever had them? 👀👇

If you have never had beef cheeks before, you are missing out! I like to think of them as short rib’s richer, more flavorful brother.

The cheek muscle is one that is heavily used, so it has a lot of connective tissue. But unlike the motion muscles on the cow like the shanks and round, beef cheeks have an amazing succulence.

The succulence of the cheeks comes from the amount of collagen in the connective tissue. As they break down, then turn to a gelatin, giving you an unforgettable mouthfeel and a deep richness. To break down the collagen, you need long cooking at a low temperature.

These cheeks were rubbed with a 8:1 pepper to salt rub, smoked at 250° with oak wood, then finished slow cooking in beef tallow until they fell apart.