I've seen this a few times in the stores, but am totally unfamiliar
with it. My common sense says it's a facial muscle meat that gets a
lot of use, chewing... and then chewing cud, and may be tough. May
need to be cooked like brisket.

Anyone know anything about this cut??
Thanks for any info, nan

Olde Hippee wrote:
I've seen this a few times in the stores, but am totally unfamiliar
with it. My common sense says it's a facial muscle meat that gets a
lot of use, chewing... and then chewing cud, and may be tough. May
need to be cooked like brisket.

Anyone know anything about this cut??
Thanks for any info, nan


Steam it until tender, and you have what the Mexicans call barbacoa.
Use it in tacos.

shawn wrote:
Olde Hippee wrote:
I've seen this a few times in the stores, but am totally unfamiliar
with it. My common sense says it's a facial muscle meat that gets a
lot of use, chewing... and then chewing cud, and may be tough. May
need to be cooked like brisket.

Anyone know anything about this cut??
Thanks for any info, nan


Steam it until tender, and you have what the Mexicans call barbacoa.
Use it in tacos.



You mean like this?........

The cooking process for an electric water smoker is one I adapted
from an article in Cook's Illustrated on southern pulled pork
barbecue, and goes as follows: A few chunks, or a handful of chips of
soaked hardwood, such as mesquite or hickory, is placed in the bottom
of the smoker, on or near the heating element, according to the
manufacturers' instructions. The water dish is filled with water, the
meat placed on the grill, the top put on the smoker, and its cord
plugged into an ordinary household outlet. About four hours later, the
meat is removed, sealed in a foil baking dish, and placed in a medium
oven for one-hour and forty-five minutes. The foil package is then
placed inside a paper grocery bag for an additional forty-five
minutes. The result is a magical transformation that produces meat
that literally falls off the bone, and mimics traditional barbacoa in
that it combines smoke and steam heat. While the cooking time is about
six hours, active preparation is only about thirty minutes.

The following recipes use the popular, readily available chuck roast
for South Texas style barbacoa, and pork butt for Yucatan's
incomparable cochinita pibil. The cooking instructions are the same
for both recipes, and I often make them at the same time, especially
when serving a large group. This cooking method also works well with
other cuts, such as lamb, ribs and chicken. A water smoker can also be
used to reheat tamales for 15 to 20 minutes, giving them a crispy
texture, and delicious, smoky flavor!

SOUTH TEXAS STYLE BEEF BARBACOA

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 ½ - 3 ½ pound bone-in chuck roast

Just before cooking, mix together the first five ingredients and rub
them into all sides of the meat.
Place some soaked wood chips near the heating element of a water
smoker (according to the manufacturers instructions). Pour 3 quarts
boiling water into the water pan, and smoke the beef for 4 hours at
between 225 and 275 degrees. Check the smoker after 2 hours and add
additional boiling water to the pan, if necessary. When done, the
internal temperature of the beef should be 160 - 170 degrees. Place
the beef in a foil baking pan, seal it with heavy duty aluminum foil,
and place it in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and
45 minutes. Remove the package from the oven, and place it in a large,
paper, grocery bag. Fold the bag tightly to seal it and leave it for
45 minutes. (If your foil pan is too large for one bag, use two,
overlapping them to completely cover the pan). Remove the meat from
the roasting pan. It will literally fall off the bone! Chop and shred
the meat into small pieces. Serve with guacamole, salsa, and hot
tortillas.

COCHINITA PIBIL Yucatan Style Barbecued Pork

Please note that achiote paste, available at Hispanic markets and some
supermarkets may be substituted for the following recado. Also, the
banana leaves may be omitted, if desired.

The recado or rub:
1 tablespoon annato seeds (available at Hispanic markets)
½ teaspoon whole cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon powdered allspice
3/4 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
4 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste
2 tablespoons orange juice
½ tablespoon lime juice

Grind the annato seeds and cumin to a powder in a spice or coffee
grinder, add the oregano, allspice, cinnamon, salt, coriander and
chile powder and grind until the spices are thoroughly mixed. Place
the powder in a small bowl, mix in the garlic, orange juice and lime
juice. You want a smooth paste that spreads easily. If the recado
seems dry add a little more juice.

The pork:

2 ½ - 3 pound, one-half Boston butt roast
The recado
Banana leaves to wrap the pork (optional)
Cotton string to tie the bundle (Do not use nylon cord as it may melt,
creating unpleasant fumes and possibly causing burns).
Rub the recado into the pork and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
If you are using banana leaves, roll them up, fold them in half, and
steam them for 20 - 30 minutes to make them pliable. When the leaves
have cooled, place them, shiny side up, on a work surface. Place the
pork on the leaves, wrap into a tight bundle and tie with the string.
Place some soaked wood chips near the heating element of a water
smoker (according to the manufacturers instructions), pour 3 quarts
boiling water into the water pan, and smoke the pork for 4 hours at
between 225 and 275 degrees. Check the smoker after 2 hours and add
additional boiling water to the pan, if necessary. When done, the
internal temperature of the pork should be 160 - 170 degrees. Place
the pork in a foil baking pan, seal it with heavy duty aluminum foil,
and place it in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and
45 minutes. Remove the package from the oven, and place it in a large,
paper, grocery bag. Fold the bag tightly to seal it and leave it for
45 minutes. (If your foil pan is too large for one bag, use two,
overlapping them to completely cover the pan). Remove the pork from
the roasting pan, and unwrap the banana leaves or foil. The meat will
literally fall off the bone! Chop and shred the pork into small
pieces. Serve with guacamole, salsa and hot tortillas.

Got it!! will let all know how it went!!
OH

Olde Hippee wrote:
shawn wrote:

Olde Hippee wrote:

I've seen this a few times in the stores, but am totally unfamiliar
with it. My common sense says it's a facial muscle meat that gets a
lot of use, chewing... and then chewing cud, and may be tough. May
need to be cooked like brisket.

Anyone know anything about this cut??
Thanks for any info, nan


Steam it until tender, and you have what the Mexicans call barbacoa.
Use it in tacos.




You mean like this?........

The cooking process for an electric water smoker is one I adapted
from an article in Cook's Illustrated on southern pulled pork
barbecue, and goes as follows: A few chunks, or a handful of chips of
soaked hardwood, such as mesquite or hickory, is placed in the bottom
of the smoker, on or near the heating element, according to the
manufacturers' instructions. The water dish is filled with water, the
meat placed on the grill, the top put on the smoker, and its cord
plugged into an ordinary household outlet. About four hours later, the
meat is removed, sealed in a foil baking dish, and placed in a medium
oven for one-hour and forty-five minutes. The foil package is then
placed inside a paper grocery bag for an additional forty-five
minutes. The result is a magical transformation that produces meat
that literally falls off the bone, and mimics traditional barbacoa in
that it combines smoke and steam heat. While the cooking time is about
six hours, active preparation is only about thirty minutes.

The following recipes use the popular, readily available chuck roast
for South Texas style barbacoa, and pork butt for Yucatan's
incomparable cochinita pibil. The cooking instructions are the same
for both recipes, and I often make them at the same time, especially
when serving a large group. This cooking method also works well with
other cuts, such as lamb, ribs and chicken. A water smoker can also be
used to reheat tamales for 15 to 20 minutes, giving them a crispy
texture, and delicious, smoky flavor!

SOUTH TEXAS STYLE BEEF BARBACOA

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 ½ - 3 ½ pound bone-in chuck roast

Just before cooking, mix together the first five ingredients and rub
them into all sides of the meat.
Place some soaked wood chips near the heating element of a water
smoker (according to the manufacturers instructions). Pour 3 quarts
boiling water into the water pan, and smoke the beef for 4 hours at
between 225 and 275 degrees. Check the smoker after 2 hours and add
additional boiling water to the pan, if necessary. When done, the
internal temperature of the beef should be 160 - 170 degrees. Place
the beef in a foil baking pan, seal it with heavy duty aluminum foil,
and place it in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and
45 minutes. Remove the package from the oven, and place it in a large,
paper, grocery bag. Fold the bag tightly to seal it and leave it for
45 minutes. (If your foil pan is too large for one bag, use two,
overlapping them to completely cover the pan). Remove the meat from
the roasting pan. It will literally fall off the bone! Chop and shred
the meat into small pieces. Serve with guacamole, salsa, and hot
tortillas.

COCHINITA PIBIL Yucatan Style Barbecued Pork

Please note that achiote paste, available at Hispanic markets and some
supermarkets may be substituted for the following recado. Also, the
banana leaves may be omitted, if desired.

The recado or rub:
1 tablespoon annato seeds (available at Hispanic markets)
½ teaspoon whole cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon powdered allspice
3/4 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
4 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste
2 tablespoons orange juice
½ tablespoon lime juice

snip

That will work, but using chuck you are giving up lots of richness.

On 2007-04-16, Steve Wertz wrote:

Save the drippings for beef stock, and use the shredded meat (it
should fall apart, if it doesn't, it's not done) for taco or
buritto fillings.

It'll be really sticky from all the collagen. So save that stuff
for rich stock.

Hmm.. Doesn't hit me as horribly tasty.. I think I'll pass if I see
some more of that.. I've seen it somewhere -- perhaps S&F?

On Apr 17, 11:07 pm, Steve Wertz wrote:
On 17 Apr 2007 20:12:23 GMT, Rick F. wrote:

Hmm.. Doesn't hit me as horribly tasty.. I think I'll pass if I see
some more of that.. I've seen it somewhere -- perhaps S&F?

It's very tasty. Don't let the food phobias keep you from trying
it at least once.

-sw

Thanks Steve, will try it, and we have a Spanish grocery where I can
get the banana leaves. Think they would add flavor or anything useful
inside the foil?
Nan

On Apr 18, 4:10 pm, Steve Wertz wrote:
On 18 Apr 2007 10:12:18 -0700, Olde Hippee wrote:

On Apr 17, 11:07 pm, Steve Wertz wrote:
On 17 Apr 2007 20:12:23 GMT, Rick F. wrote:

Hmm.. Doesn't hit me as horribly tasty.. I think I'll pass if I see
some more of that.. I've seen it somewhere -- perhaps S&F?

It's very tasty. Don't let the food phobias keep you from trying
it at least once.

Thanks Steve, will try it, and we have a Spanish grocery where I can
get the banana leaves. Think they would add flavor or anything useful
inside the foil?

I usually add some onion and ground chile of some sort, and black
pepper. But it really doesn't absorb any flavor, just makes it
smell better ;-)

-sw

Well, we've tried that once, don't need to try it again. The dogs
loved the fat(almost half the total amount). Our greyhound ate faster
than I've ever seen him eat, and all of it at one time!!! And Steve,
you sure are right about the collagen!! I've been aware of it in
brisket and pulled pork but this was just too much.
Thanks to all who helped with a recipe for this. Might be a good meat
to buy for the dogs if the dog food recall crap gets any worse.
Nanzi