Beef cheeks braised low and slow in red wine until they practically melt, in a glossy sauce blended from their own braising vegetables. Serves 4, and worth every minute.
Ingredients
1 kg cleaned beef cheeks; 2 large onions; 2 carrots; 1 leek; 4 garlic cloves; 2 ripe tomatoes; 300 ml red wine; 500 ml beef stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig of thyme; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp flour (optional); salt and black pepper to taste; mashed potatoes to serve.
Method
Trim the cheeks, pat them dry, season with salt and pepper, and dust lightly with flour if you like. Sear them in hot olive oil until deeply browned all over, then set aside. In the same pot, soften the chopped onion, carrot, leek, and garlic for 8–10 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in the wine, scrape up all the browned bits from the base, and boil for 4–5 minutes. Return the cheeks to the pot with the stock, bay leaves, and thyme, so the liquid covers most of the meat. Cover and braise on the lowest heat for 2½–3 hours, until the cheeks are completely tender. Lift the cheeks out, discard the bay and thyme, and blend the vegetables with the braising liquid into a smooth sauce, reducing it if it seems thin. Return the cheeks to the sauce for 5–10 minutes to warm through, and serve hot over mashed potatoes.
Tips
Sear the meat properly — that deep browning is where the sauce gets its richness; braise with a wine you would happily drink; low and slow is the whole secret, and the dish is even better made a day ahead.
