Mexican Barbacoa in a Crock-Pot -

This is the easiest way to cook an authentic Mexican Barbacoa instead of cooking it in the traditional way in Mexico with the head wrapped in large banana leaves and three layers of burlap and then placed in a deep hole in the ground, just like the Hawaiian Pork Luau.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 16-20

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  beef cheeks
• 1  large  head garlic
• 1  large yellow onion, diced
• 2  oranges, the juice
• 1  teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  teaspoon whole black peppercorn
•  salt, to taste

• FOR SERVING

•  tortillas, Flour or  corn
•  cilantro, chopped
•  lime, quartered

• OPTIONAL

•  onion, finely diced
•  tomatoes, diced
•  iceberg lettuce, shredded
•  cheese, shredded (Cheddar or Jack)
•  salsa
•  hot sauce
•  chopped  jalapeno pepper (if like them spicy)

Directions

1. Rinse the cheeks and place them in a good size crock pot, discarding any chunks that are just fat.
2. Add garlic cloves, onion, bay leaves, oregano, black pepper, salt, and squeeze the orange juice from the two oranges over the meat.
3. Set the crock pot on high and cook for two hours, then stir the contents with a big spoon.
4. Stir every hour after that. In six hours it should be starting to fall apart.
5. Cook for an extra hour if needed and then remove from the crock pot to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, draining the meat from juices and removing the bay leaves and all the fat. (It retains too much fat.)
6. Shred the meat with two forks and serve on tacos with the tortillas and the extras.
7. The best is to place some meat on a warm tortilla, top with cilantro, squirt on some lime juice and hot salsa, sauce or chopped jalapeño, roll up and enjoy with some Charro Beans as a side. Mmmmmm -- it is so good.