Beef cheek in red wine sauce

Beef cheeks are a frequently overlooked, but a fantastic cut of meat to find at the butcher. Rich in collagen, they become incredibly tender and flavoursome when braised. These beef cheeks are cooked in a rich concoction of red wine, garlic, onions and mixed herbs and slowly cooked for four hours until meltingly soft. Serve with roasted vegetables and a fresh salad.

Beef cheek in red wine sauce Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  4 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 beef cheeks
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 brown onions, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (250 ml) good-quality red wine
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp oregano leaves
• salt and black pepper
• roasted seasonal vegetables, to serve
• salad greens, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the beef cheeks and sear on all sides, until browned.
2. Place carrot and onion into a slow cooker or a heavy-based saucepan. Top with the seared beef cheeks. Deglaze the large frying pan with the red wine, then pour it over the beef cheeks.
3. Add the garlic, chicken stock, tomato paste, bay leaves, herbs, salt and pepper to the slow cooker or saucepan. Ensure the beef cheeks are covered with liquid, top up with water if necessary.
4. Cook, covered, in the slow cooker on the LOW setting or stovetop for 4 hours. When the beef cheeks are tender, remove to a tray and cover with foil. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce, then use a stick mixer to blend the cooking liquid and vegetables into a thick sauce.
5. Divide the beef cheeks between plates and spoon over the red wine sauce. Serve with roasted vegetables and salad greens as you like.

Note

• All meat was sourced from Echo Valley Farms.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.