Quite possibly a dumb question…. Where to find beef cheeks?

[Debmar]

But I dont mean what store or market. We raise our own steers and while we bring the carcass away to be cut and wrapped we skin and gut them ourselves. Last time we did this I decided I was going to save the beef cheeks and try smoking them. I have seen what they look like like from youtube videos. But when i went to find and remove them I found nothing on the head of the animal that looked anything even remotely similar. Actually I didnt find anything worth removing. I looked online and couldnt find any butchery guide that gave any direction either and eventually gave up. Can anyone enlighten me regarding this. Or suggest a link that is useful for learning how?
Thanks
Martin

 

[SmokinAussie]

Well I was gonna be a smart arse and tell you they are on either side of the head. But you have it there in front of you.

I suppose there;s a few times I've bought beef cheeks and had to cut away a lot of tissue that was largely skin and lip and the inside of the oral cavity. The muscle itself isn't that big.

As an indication, clench your own jaw and you can feel the jaw muscle tense us just below and in front of your ear. Now a steer has a different structure, but same rules apply in the anatomy. The muscle will be a lot further toward the back where the jaw ligature connects with the skull. You might have been looking around the cud which doesn't have a lot of muscle.

Honestly don't know if that helps.

I'm no butcher.

B

 

[Itsdone]

Maybe Botox injections will help.

 

[Debmar]

Well like i said its prob a dumb question. It’s maybe a breed thing as these were holstein steers but i couldnt find anything that amounted to being worth keeping. The beef cheeks i see being used on the youtube bbq channels seem fairly substantial.
The steers were big so it wasnt that they were too young.
Would like to find a video of someone cutting them out as an example for next time.

 

[Itsdone]

Jok

Well like i said its prob a dumb question. It’s maybe a breed thing as these were holstein steers but i couldnt find anything that amounted to being worth keeping. The beef cheeks i see being used on the youtube bbq channels seem fairly substantial.
The steers were big so it wasnt that they were too young.
Would like to find a video of someone cutting them out as an example for next time.

jokes aside, maybe there is some truth to my joke in that "BIG" Beef uses steroids and thats why their beef cheeks are substantial enough to sell.

 

[Inthewoods]

Good luck in yer search. Personally I've never seen a beef cheek cook that ever gave me the urge ta try it. Though out of courtesy I've "thanked" a few.

-D

 

[ModelMaker]

If it were me, I would ask your local butcher to show you where they are.
Ed

 

[SmittyJonz]

…..

 

[16Adams]

But I dont mean what store or market. We raise our own steers and while we bring the carcass away to be cut and wrapped we skin and gut them ourselves. Last time we did this I decided I was going to save the beef cheeks and try smoking them. I have seen what they look like like from youtube videos. But when i went to find and remove them I found nothing on the head of the animal that looked anything even remotely similar. Actually I didnt find anything worth removing. I looked online and couldnt find any butchery guide that gave any direction either and eventually gave up. Can anyone enlighten me regarding this. Or suggest a link that is useful for learning how?
Thanks
Martin

Link to Barbacoa. This explains the regional term, the noun the verb and adjective of beef Barbacoa. The Caribbean versus Mexican and South Texas.
I love it, and the only knife skills needed are to open the cryovac. Bottom line, the muscles used for chewing

Link to cheek location

What Part of the Cow Is Barbacoa?

Everyone knows about barbacoa. It is delicious meat associated with Mexican cuisine. However, most people happily shovel barbacoa into their mouths without knowing what it is or what part of …

bbqrevolt.com

 

[16Adams]

I'm not a cutter but found this foreign language head processing video on YouTube. Around 14:15 is where I think the beef cheek is removed. I could be wrong.
For the record, your question is not dumb, in fact quite intelligent and interesting.. I cook beef cheek at least once a month. I'm learning too

Link to YouTube beef head processing

 

[ModelMaker]

Well, that was just phuking disturbing! There went the desire for breakfast.
Ed

 

[16Adams]

Well, that was just phuking disturbing! There went the desire for breakfast.
Ed

I read an article one time on meat eaters versus those people that don't eat meat. One theory was that if people were required to kill and process their own meat there'd be a lot fewer meat eaters. Andrew Zimmern had an episode where he slit the throat of a camel to process. He pretty much stated don't eat anything you're not willing to kill.

 

[ModelMaker]

I read an article one time on meat eaters versus those people that don't eat meat. One theory was that if people were required to kill and process their own meat there'd be a lot fewer meat eaters. Andrew Zimmern had an episode where he slit the throat of a camel to process. He pretty much stated don't eat anything you're not willing to kill.

I've kilt bunnies, peasants, ducks, deers, squirrels (stinking things), fishies, cleaned, parted into appropriate chunks, and ate them all.
But I never have, nor ever will skin a dam cows head to eat it's jaw.
However if invited to eat a jaw in a taco, I'm there.
Ed