Any good recipes?

Dig a hole
Burn down a literal ton of mesquite wood
Drop a steer head in hole
Fill with coals
Wait a long time

What I was told is. Dig a hole. Burn a fire in it. After it is coals dig out the coals. Wrap a cow head in wet burlap. Put it in the hole. Put a piece of tin on top of the cow head. Fill the hole with the hot coals. I don't remember how long to cook.

Although the "old ways" are cool, we have gone modern age. We get "cheek meat" at Sam's or HEB, wrap in foil and place in the oven overnight at about 225 degrees. Most just season it with salt. Fresh tortillas and you are good to go!

The way we do it at the ranch is:
dig a deep hole and make a big fire - let burn down to coals,
take a cow head or two and tightly wrap with foil,
stick head in old wet T-shirt,
stick that in a wet burlap sack,
tie wire around head & make an eye at the top,
set head/heads onto coals,
cover with tin or heavy plywood & shovel dirt around edges to seal,
This is all done the day or evening before, prefer to put the heads in the ground around dark 30 and cook over night,
hook the wire & remove head in the morning,
pull meat from head/shred, have corn tortillas & pico ready and get after it.
Some like to mix brains in, I don't.

Nobody wanted to dig the hole last weekend, so we just did some in a crock pot. Oven works good too.

I have to do a "Mea Culpa" (I think that's how you say it). I've done a whole hog in a smoker but never an "in ground" method- how long do the coals stay hot? I assume long enough to get the job done. How thick do you pile the coals in a pit under and over the meat?

The more coals, the longer it will stay hot. I've never put coals on top. It will still be hot in the morning.

Perfect and its about 24 hrs

HEB, and yes its pretty dang tasty

1. go to HEB
2. buy cheek meat or lengua
3. Wrap it in foil paper
4. Put it in a crock-pot at night and it will be done by morning.

ahhhhh Beef tongue is Lengua , not Beef cheek Barbacoa