Beef cheeks! NOT what you think!

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Oct 8, 2003 | 10:32 PM

2Bowers

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From: Near Bloom, PA

Beef cheeks! NOT what you think!

We were in the grocery store the other day, when I wandered over to the meat section. We normally buy from a local butcher, but where there's meat, there's a guy mentally lighting the grill...

Anyway, I found something called beef cheeks. The Other Bower had no idea what they were, or which end of the cow they were from, so we didn't buy them. When we got home I wanted to look it up on the net. She says don't you dare, we'll get 12 million porno sites if you search for beef cheeks.

Looked it up anyway and believe it or not, I got zero **** sites. None. Bunch of recipes, though, and they look pretty good. Now we can't find beef cheeks anywhere and I'm almost too embarrassed to ask our butcher.

Anyone here ever heard of them, or eaten them? Supposed to be very tender, from the moo end of the cow. Just curious.

PS think I'll register beefcheeks.com and see how many hits I get...

Oct 8, 2003 | 11:32 PM

bigblu

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From: Az

Never be embarrassed to ask a butcher. It's their profession, and I bet they'd be delighted to tell you. I ask butcher's questions about recipes sometimes too.

From what I've read on the net, It's the jowl (cheeks)of the cow. It should be cooked for a long time, since all the chewing cows do make the meat tough.

Once cooked for a long time, the meat is supposed to be sweet and very tender.

Oct 9, 2003 | 12:51 AM

dono

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I was installing a computer system in a power plant one time and went out to the truck that usually showed up at noon with sandwiches and other goodies. I bought a hot-link sandwich and made the mistake of reading the ingredients lable. The first item listed was "Beef Lips". I was hungry, and having survived C-Rations in the Army, I ate it anyway. It was very good and I continued to eat them during the installation.
Dono

Oct 9, 2003 | 09:07 AM

3MTA3

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From: Mission Viejo USA

Don't be afraid of the other end of the animal. I have a gravy recipe that's the best I have ever had, the main ingredient is ox tails!

Oct 9, 2003 | 02:03 PM

Mikeman

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From: PNW

Believe it or not, salmon cheeks are supposed to be good, too. I found that from a site that shows how to fillet a salmon. However, you need to have a fairly large salmon to get any significant amount of meat from the cheeks. Other people I have talked to have said that the cheek meat from other large fish (like halibut) is supposed to be good. Never tried it, but something to keep in mind if you ever catch a big fish.

Oct 9, 2003 | 07:32 PM

2Bowers

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From: Near Bloom, PA

Got no problem with the other end of the cow, heard oxtail soup is delicious. I've eaten Spam, generic hotdogs, scrapple, and potted meat, plus whatever is in MREs. Beef cheeks just tickled the funnybone, got to try it now.

3MTA3, love to have that recipe. Other Bower agreed to make it if you post it, she's a gravyholic.

Mikeman, I'll have to try that. Good excuse to go fishing.

Oct 9, 2003 | 10:17 PM

kevin71100

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From: northwest

I believe the cut of meat and the way it is prepared is called "barbacoa". It is a spanish dish. Before you buy it stop @ a taco wagon and try some. It's actually pretty tender but maybe it was cooked in a crockpot