Beer Braised Beef Cheek Barbacoa

Last Updated on October 18, 2023 by Carne Diem

Protein:

Origin: Mexican, North American

Method: Grill/Smoker or Stove top

Jump to Recipe

This smoky barbacoa recipe, is braised in beer for the most tender and delicious beef cheek tacos your have ever experienced. The beef cheeks are briefly grilled and then finished in a Dutch oven with banana leaves to mimic that traditional Mexican barbacoa flavor.

Barbacoa has quickly become one of our favorite fillings for taqueria style tacos. Beef is slowly cooked with chiles and spices until it becomes succulent and tender and can be shredded easily into warm tortillas. Traditionally barbacoa involved cooking whole lambs or goats in a fire pit in the ground covered with agave leaves. The technique and method may have originated in Barbados, which may explain the similarity to cooking methods seen across other islands. The method and technique are surprisingly similar to kalua style pork cooked in an imu in Hawaii.

For this recipe you will not need to obtain permission from your HOA to dig a fire pit in your yard. We also will be using beef instead of goat or lamb, which has actually become a very common way of making barbacoa in modern times. We try to best replicate the authentic method by braising the barbacoa in a cast iron Dutch oven lined with banana leaves. The beer used in the recipe is 100% not authentic but we really love the way this Beer Braised Barbacoa turns out.

Making the Beef Cheek Barbacoa

Gather your ingredients

To make the barbacoa you will need about 1.5 pounds of beef cheeks or rump roast, 3 dried Guajillo peppers, a dried Ancho pepper, dark Mexican beer, beef broth, white vinegar, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. We have down sized this recipe for about 4-5 people but it is very easily doubled.

Dried Guajillo and Ancho peppers are becoming more widely available in most supermarkets. If you can't find them there they are available at any Latino grocer. For this recipe we used Kettle and Fire Chipotle flavored beef broth for a little extra flavor. Feel free to use your favorite.

Traditionally agave leaves are used to line the pit, but we have never had any luck sourcing them easily. As a result, we have substituted banana leaves which are also sometimes used. They are easily found in most Latino or Asian markets, often in the freezer section.

Cooking the barbacoa

While you can make this recipe indoors on a stove top, we find it best to make the Dutch oven barbacoa on a grill. First, preheat your grill or smoker to 400 degrees and set up for direct heat cooking. For this recipe we will be using our Big Green Egg. You can find more great Big Green Egg recipes here.

Next, line a cast iron Dutch oven with the banana leaves. If the banana leaves are too stiff, rinse them under some warm water or heat them gently on the grill to make them more pliable.

Prepare the cooking/braising liquid for the Beer Braised Beef Cheek Barbacoa

Place the half onion, garlic, and dried chilis on the grill and cook about 5 minutes per side over direct heat. Remove from the grill. Reduce the heat to 250-300 degrees.

Place the chilis into a bowl with some hot water and allow to soak for 20-30 minutes.

Allow the onion and garlic to cool then skin the garlic cloves and place in a food processor or blender along with the onion. Pulse to chop into smaller portions.

When the peppers are done soaking, remove them from the water and remove the stems and seeds. Place the peppers in the food processor. Pulse a few times to chop the peppers into smaller pieces.

Add the beef broth, white vinegar, salt, and pepper and blend completely.

Over a bowl, strain the mixture though a medium mesh strainer to remove any remaining seeds and tough pepper skins. Press the mixture to be certain to get all of the liquid that you can then scrape the bottom side of the strainer to get any small bits that may have passed through and add those to the bowl.

Add the oregano, cumin, and bay leaves to the bowl and mix well to combine.

Prepare the meat

Traditional barbacoa was cooked with lamb or goat. When beef was used, beef cheeks or head meat was used and this is still a common way to prepare it today. We like to use a high quality beef cheek and we have had excellent luck with the American Wagyu from KC Cattle Company. This cut can also commonly be found in most Hispanic meat markets. Depending on where you live, I have even seen it at Wal Mart a few times.

For those that can't find beef cheeks or are hesitant to use it (you should not be, it is tender and delicious with a great beefy flavor) you can use a chuck roast or pot roast. If using a roast, you will want to cut it into smaller pieces so that is cooks more evenly and quickly.

Pat the beef cheeks off with a paper towel to dry. Remove any excess fat. If using a chuck roast, cut it into 2-3 smaller sized pieces. Lightly salt both sides of the meat and place on the grill.

Cook the meat for about 5 minutes per sides then remove the grilled beef cheeks from the grill.

Cook the Beer Braised Beef Cheek Barbacoa

Place the Dutch oven on the grill/smoker and add in the cooking liquid. Reminder: the grill/smoker should be 250-300 degrees at this point. If your grill grate is very close to your fire in your grill, you may choose to cook over indirect heat, or stay closer to the 250 degree range for the remainder of the cook. Allow the liquid to warm for about 5 minutes, uncovered.

Add in the grilled beef cheeks and flip the meat over a few times to coat in the braising liquid.

Add 1 bottle of the beer and place the lid on the Dutch oven.

Cook for about 3 hours. Flip the meat each hour and add a little more beer if the liquid level appears to be getting too low.

After 3 hours the meat should pull apart easily with a fork (and if using an instant read thermometer should be at least 205 degrees). If it does not pull apart easily continue to cook. Once the meat is fork tender, remove it to a bowl and shred. Spoon a little of the braising liquid onto the meat and salt to taste.

Serving the Beer Braised Barbacoa

We prefer to serve the barbacoa street taco style with diced onion, sliced radish, and cilantro. A squeeze of lime finishes the dish perfectly.

Consider doing a taco bar with some homemade fajitas, Carne Asada Street Tacos, al Pastor, or Cochinita Pibil tacos. Want something outside the norm? Give our Navajo Frybread Tacos with Seasoned Bison or Ahi Wonton Tacos With Wasabi Sauce a try.

What to serve with smoked barbacoa tacos

Barbacoa tacos are typically served with diced onion, cilantro, hot sauce, and sliced radishes. Grilled jalapenos are also a great option. The Beer Braised Barbacoa pairs great with some Spanish rice and Charro Beans With Hickory Smoked Bacon. Also don't forget the hot sauce and fresh guacamole and a Mango Habanero Margarita or Mezcal Paloma.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks again for visiting Carne Diem. If you tried and enjoyed our recipe, please share with others. Also don’t forget to tag us @Carne_Diem_Culinary or #CarneDiemBlog, we love to see your pics! To be notified of future recipes please follow us on Facebook,  Instagram, or Pinterest, or sign up for our e-mail notifications.

📖 Recipe