Right, we are definitely heading into crowd-pleasing territory for this one and to be fair, we are pondering on whether to serve this up for our next Wine & Meat Tasting at T&G - if you are interested, there’s only a couple of tickets left so head to our Eventbrite page HERE
In the meantime, do check this stonking recipe out which is featured in PRIME. Naturally, a lot of testing went during the writing of the book but when we revisited this at the weekend, the general exclamation in the group was: WHY HAVEN’T WE COOKED THIS IN SO LONG!
A further word from chef can be found below but on the smoke front, if you can get your hands on some spicy mesquite chips or wood, this is the perfect combination.
‘Barbacoa originated in the Caribbean and is the root of the word “barbecue”. It is usually made with a whole cow’s head buried in a pit, but even I would struggle to find a whole head, so I have adapted it to suit modern tastes and availability of ingredients. If, however, you did find yourself with a whole head to cook, there are plenty of tasty bits to be rooted out with a bit of persistence.
Barbacoa is now associated with Texas ‘cue, hence the more Tex-Mex style of garnish.’ - Richard H. Turner
Ingredients - serves 4 to 6
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tbs Maldon Sea Salt flakes
1tbs coarsely ground black pepper
1tbs cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
Pinch of ground cloves
1tsp dried oregano
1kg Ox Cheek
200ml Beef Bones Gravy
100ml Chipotle ketchup or BBQ Sauce
100g beef dripping
Juice of 1 lime
To serve
Tortillas
Guacamole - see Richard's recipe below
Salsa Mexicana - and this one too!
Method
Mix the garlic, salt, spices and oregano together to make the rub. Coat the ox cheek with three-quarters of the rub, then cover and leave overnight in the fridge. Set the rest of the rub aside.
Preheat a barbecue or smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Smoke the ox cheeks at 110°C (230°F) for 4 hours, until an internal temperature of 90°C (194°F) is reached when the meat is tested with a meat thermometer, or until tender and yielding to the touch.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan bring the Beef Bones Gravy, Chipotle Ketchup, beef dripping and lime juice to the boil, then simmer until reduced by half.
Shred the ox cheek just before serving and mix with the reduced sauce, then season with the extra rub and serve with warmed tortillas, Guacamole and Salsa
Guacamole
1 large avocado
1 ripe tomato
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of 1 iime
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbs chopped coriander
Maldon sea salt flakes
Method
Peel and stone the avocado and chop the flesh into 1cm pieces
Cut a cross on the underside of the tomato and cover it with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds to loosen the skin, then peel, deseed and finely chop the flesh. Add to the avocado along with the chopped red onion, lime juice and chilli.
Add the chopped coriander and gently mix to combine.
Season to taste and serve immediately.
Salsa Mexicana
4 large ripe tomatoes
4 green chillies
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbs chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lime
Maldon sea salt flakes
Method
Cut a cross on the underside of the tomato and cover it with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds to loosen the skin, then peel, deseed and finely chop the flesh.
Deseed and finely chop the chillies and mix with the tomatoes, red onion and garlic. Add the chopped coriander and the lime juice and gently mix together.
Season to taste and serve immediately.
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