Treat your taste buds to an exceptional Texas-style smoked BBQ experience with Chef Tom's delicious and easy-to-make beef cheek sandwiches.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Trimming away the fat, silver skin, and connective tissue from the cheeks before seasoning exposes clean meat for the rub to grip, rather than seasoning over tough surface tissue the seasoning couldn't penetrate anyway
- Rubbing a thin layer of Dijon mustard on before the rub gives the seasoning something to stick to, rather than falling off through a 5-hour smoke
- Smoking the cheeks completely open rather than wrapping them lets the bark develop continuously over the full cook
Texas Style Smoked Beef Cheeks
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
6-8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
5 hours
Calories
685
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for these insanely delicious, incredibly simple Texas Style Smoked Beef Cheeks, and turns it all into a fantastic chopped beef barbecue sandwich!
Ingredients
- 7 lb beef cheeks
-
Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard
-
Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub
- Brioche buns
-
Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard
-
Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce
-
Holmes Made Dad’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles
For the sandwich:
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 275ºF.
- Trim the excess fat, silver skin and connective tissue from the surface of the beef cheeks.
- Rub the cheeks with a thin layer of Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard. Season generously with Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub.
- Smoke the beef cheeks open until you can shred them with a fork, about 5 hours. The internal temperature will be 205ºF-210ºF.
- Rest the meat 20 minutes before shredding and/or chopping for sandwiches or tacos.
- To make the Texas Style Smoked Beef Cheeks sandwich, spread a thin layer of Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard on the bottom bun of a toasted brioche roll. Stack on the chopped beef cheek. Dress with Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce. Finish with Holmes Made Dad’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles and the top of the toasted brioche bun.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why trim the fat, silver skin, and connective tissue from the beef cheeks before seasoning them?
Removing that tough surface tissue exposes clean meat for the Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub to actually grip onto, rather than seasoning over connective tissue the rub couldn't meaningfully penetrate anyway.
Why rub the cheeks with mustard before applying the dry rub?
The mustard gives the rub something to stick to, helping it build a real bark through the full 5-hour smoke rather than falling off a bare surface.
Why smoke the beef cheeks completely open instead of wrapping them partway through?
Leaving them unwrapped the entire time lets the bark develop continuously, rather than being interrupted by the moisture a foil or paper wrap would introduce.
Why use the same Dijon mustard on the sandwich bun that was used to season the meat?
Repeating that same mustard on the toasted bun ties the finished sandwich back to the same flavor the beef cheeks were seasoned and smoked with, rather than introducing an unrelated condiment.
What internal temperature should the beef cheeks actually reach?
This recipe smokes them until they can be shredded with a fork, at an internal temperature of 205-210°F, well above the USDA minimum of 145°F for whole-muscle beef. That higher target is what breaks down the connective tissue for shredding, not a food safety requirement.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5 — this is a 5-hour cook built entirely around a pellet grill's low, steady wood smoke. An oven can render the beef cheeks tender, but you'll lose the bark and smoke flavor this recipe is built around.
Recipe Highlights
Pre-trimmed cheeks: Exposes clean meat for better rub adhesion.
Mustard-based binder: Helps the rub build bark through a long smoke.
Fully unwrapped smoking: Builds continuous bark without interruption.
Repeated mustard condiment: Ties the sandwich back to the meat's own seasoning.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 17.88 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 685
- Carbs
- 35 grams
- Protein
- 57 grams
- Fat
- 32 grams
- Sodium
- 560 milligrams
