Beef Cheek Patties
I have always loved to be creative in the kitchen but didn’t always have the time. I loved to bake with my mom as a kid and did a lot of it as a teen. After high school, I went straight into college and did not really have the free timeto be in the kitchen. When I got married, I was working on my masters degree and held 2 jobs–which led to less time to cook.
Funny how I did not know I missed cooking until I had children, and chose to become a “stay at home mom.” I found myself cooking and experimenting more in the kitchen. For added value, I have taken the opportunity to spend more time with my Abuela and my mom, learning to cook more authentic/traditional Mexican recipes. Aside from spending time with them, it has been great returning to a place of sharing ideas in the kitchen with my mom just like when I was a kid.
Here is a recipe we worked on together! I must admit that is it pretty darngood. Thanks to the fresh Cheek Meat from Rumba Meats,I was able to create beef cheek pattiesin a deliciously mild chile sauce with and a hint of sweetness from the banana chiles. PARA CHUPARSE LOS DEDOS!
Recipe
Beef Cheek Patties
Servings: 4-5
Author:
Silvia Salas-Sanchez
- Abuela's Kitchen
INGREDIENTS
- Rumba® Beef Cheekmeat
- 2-3 pounds of Cheek Meat (Rumba Meats)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
- 5 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1-2 Banana peppers
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine cheek meat, salt, garlic and 1/2 an onion in a large pot with enough water to cover the meat.
- Cook for about 2-3 hours or until tender. Remove from pot and let it cool down enough to remove fat. Shred meat and remove fat.
- Roast the tomatoes, chiles, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 an onion. Blend tomatoes, chiles, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 onion.
- Mix egg whites until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time and mix. Fold in shredded meat, flour, and bread crumbs.
- Heat a pan with lard or cooking oil. Scoop up a spoon full of the mix and drop into the pan flipping each patty until cooked.
- Once done, in the same pan, fry the sauce adding 1 1/2 cup of water and salt to your preference. Let it come to a simmer.
- Add patties to the sauce and let it simmer for another 5 minutes
- Sprinkle cilantro over the patties once they are served.
RECIPE NOTES
Serve with white rice and some salad.