BBQ beef cheeks

[Cagno]

Hi guys,

I need your help!

I was planning to make some good brisket but I realized that unfortunately

here in Italy I can find only super lean beef meat and I'm pretty sure that a lean brisket would come out dry at the end.

I'm wondering if I can use beef cheeks instead of brisket : it looks like Italian beef cheeks have a similar amount of marbling as a decent US brisket.

Do you think this could be a good plan?

I'm worried about the smaller size of the meat. Maybe is better to make it as John did in the Atlanta style brisket video with some liquids when the stall is reached? Or I could cook it Texas style without drying it out?

Thank you all for your help!

[K-ville]

I did beef cheeks once a few years ago and according to my notes, I seasoned them with salt and pepper, then cooked at 250-275 (same as my briskets) for about 5 hrs. If I recall  the meat was about 205 - 210, but like brisket I was looking for it to probe easily. They were really good. 

And thanks for the reminder, I'll have to do them again. Cheaper and quicker than a big brisket.

[Cagno]

thank you @K-ville

so no foil and no liquids during the cook?

[SmoovD]

My experience with beef cheeks has been either braising in a slow cooker or in an oven. Either way, they are delicious. If I were to cook them on a kamado, I would start them without foil or liquids to get some smoke in the flavor profile. I would foil them and add liquid to braise them after the smoke to keep in the the moisture and unctuousness.

 

 

[K-ville]

2 hours ago, Cagno said:

thank you @K-ville

so no foil and no liquids during the cook?

I didn't have foil recorded in my notebook, but I think I wrapped in foil with a bit of beer for the last 2 hours - it was a few years ago. My wife seems to recall the same. I just wanted to be sure they came out tender,  and they did. 

[pesto3]

Never done beef cheeks like a brisket before myself. Here is a link to beef cheeks I did a while ago.
https://www.kamadoguru.com/topic/23417-beef-cheeks/#comment-309313

They just fell apart in your mouth.




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[Garvinque]

I did beef cheeks a few years back and I didn't prepared them well, but will have to try again with a little smoke then in a DO to finish like a stew.