Beef cheeks!

[Oregon Bill]

I was watching a cable show on Tuscan cooking today, and the guy was slow-cooking chunks of beef cheek in deep red Spanish wine with lots of pepper and fennel. I had not even heard of beef cheeks before, but after checking on the Internet, I believe I have really been missing out on what many say is the most flavorful cut of beef there is -- literally the jaw muscles. I'm going to cross-examine my butcher under a bright light on this next chance I get. Bet they were commonly eaten in the Old West ...

[River City John]

Plus it would get a lot of comments if used as an alias.

[Oregon Bill]

John: You, sir, are a card!
I might add that my butcher called this afternoon sayin ghe had my order of beef cheeks in. Now to find that young red Spanish Brunello to cook them in ...

[Delmonico]

Check out any local Mexican grocery stores, also my local Wal-Mart carries them sometimes.  Never tried them but have ate a lot of cured hog jowls.

[Leo Tanner]

Try lengua.  It might be the cheeks but rumor has it it's the toungue
     I had a pard that always ordered it from an authentic mexican place every Sunday.  I kep turnin him down on a bite an finaly gave in.  Talk about the tenderest melt in yer mouth meat!
     To this day I still hold off on the cabeza, but who knows what I'm missin.


Leo 

[Ozark Tracker]

I guess it's just whatever yer willing to try,  when Jackie told me about Menudo and using cow belly, I had never even thought about eating it,  she made it for me and I liked it,  I request it on a regular basis now.  It's a good meal.

[Singing Bear]

Never tried the Menudo.  Over here, it's got other visceral parts than just the tripe.   
I don't care for Okinawan intestine soup, so not about to try anything else with that much stuff what needs "special" attention.   

I do like "properly" prepared tripe stew as well as beef tongue and heart.  Never tried cheeks.  Never seen them offered.  Can probably find it at the open market in Chinatown.  They got all kinds of animal heads in the meat coolers.   

What's lengua and how's it prepared?  Is it a regular menu item at Mexican restaurants?  We have a few "authentic" places here, but gotta wait till I get this gall bladder taken care of first before we go back for a meal. 

[Leo Tanner]

Singing Bear,
     You won't find lengua in a typical Mexican place.  It has to be one of the ones where the menu is in spanish an the surroundings are nothing fancy.  Don't know where you're from, so it may not be within reach. 
     It is some part of the cows mouth--lengua would hint toward the tounge as in linguistic.  It is marinated and grilled and generaly served in a taco.  It is the tenderest chunk style meat you will ever have.


Leo

[Singing Bear]

Singing Bear,
     You won't find lengua in a typical Mexican place.  It has to be one of the ones where the menu is in spanish an the surroundings are nothing fancy.  Don't know where you're from, so it may not be within reach. 
     It is some part of the cows mouth--lengua would hint toward the tounge as in linguistic.  It is marinated and grilled and generaly served in a taco.  It is the tenderest chunk style meat you will ever have.


Leo

I be in Hawai'i.  Most of the Mexican restaurants here are for partying.  There's only a few "authentic" family places, but they serve nothing more exotic than a bowl of menudo and their selections are still mostly Texmex. 

[Oregon Bill]

Had the beef cheeks prepared according to an old Tuscan recipe, and all hands were shouting bravo after the meal. Trim the fat, cut in 1- to 2-inch chunks, marinate overnight in a bottle of Tuscan red wine with a tablespoon of green peppercorns in brine, some olive oil and a cheescloth bag containing three whole cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of ground black pepper, a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns and a tablespoon of ground fennel. Pull it out of the fridge in early afternoon and begin cooking on a low simmer, covered for 3 1/2 hours. Serve over minced garlic sauteed in olive oil and three cups of chickpeas and the juice, the whole shbang pureed once the chikcpees are tender. Guaranteed!

[Trinity]

I'll have to look for those Cheeks.  Sounds good!

Lengua is the Spanish word for tongue.
Cabeza is the Spanish word for head.

OT, I had always heard that Menudo contained brain and have been too skittish to eat it.  It's all edible, but I have a problem eating organ meat.   I know it's all mental, but ... ugh!  Now, if you grind it all up into a potted meat, that's a different story.

[Ozark Tracker]

OT, I had always heard that Menudo contained brain and have been too skittish to eat it.  It's all edible, but I have a problem eating organ meat.   I know it's all mental, but ... ugh!  Now, if you grind it all up into a potted meat, that's a different story.

naw that Menudo we make only has cow belly in it, but when ya get it cooked up just right, it's good 

now I do know a woman up here who swears that squirrel brains is the best little bite of squirrel,  just take a spoon and crack the skull and dip it out. 

[Arcey]

Sloppy double cheeseburger. Lettuce 'n tomato. Want ah good sprinkle ah salt 'n pepper on top the tomato. Mayonnaise on the bun. Fer desert. A couple Boar's Head dogs, chili 'n dirty mustard. Bud Light, ice cold.

That way ya get ta eat cheeks, brains, tongues, guts, hair, teeth, eyes 'n bug parts. Salad's on the burger. Ya get bread, liquid 'n solid, 'n dairy. A well balanced meal.

[Texas Lawdog]

Arcey has all the major food groups covered.

[Modoc]

The sweet young thing at the Taco wagon last night confirmed that Cabeza is beef cheeks.  It made a very tender Burrito that was flavorful and filling

Now I have to look for a good roach coach that is local to the office .