Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks

One of my favorite cuts of beef is beef cheeks. At first you may think WTF, but trust me, it is one of the most sought after cuts of beef! They are one of the most flavorful cuts of beef, and the most tender when cooked right. If you are a fan of fall apart, melt in your mouth, shreddy beef, then you need to try this recipe. This is my version of a French dish, Beef Daube, where the beef cheeks are braised in wine and aromatics until they are cooked through.

How to Cook Beef Cheeks:

Because they are a muscle that constantly was working because of chewing, it is a very flavorful cut and very rich in collagen, needing slow cooking to cook properly. The best way to cook beef cheeks is by braising at a low temperature, in flavorful liquid, in the oven or stovetop.

Where to Get Beef Cheeks:

It is quite difficult to find beef cheeks since they are very limited in quantity, only two cuts per cow, and highly sought after among restaurants and chefs. I find it is easiest to order online, and they will deliver them to you frozen. I have ordered from US Wellness Meats in the past and they have been amazing!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef cheeks
• Salt and pepper
• Avocado oil
• ½ lb bacon, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 bottle of cabernet sauvignon
• Sachet: (wrap the below parsley stem, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, orange peel in cheesecloth and tie off with butchers twine to make an herb pocket)
  • 10 parsley stems
  • 3 Thyme sprigs
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 10 Peppercorns
  • peel from 1 orange
• 16 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 cups beef stock, or more as needed

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Salt and pepper your beef cheeks the day prior, and refrigerate overnight.

STEP 2.

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

STEP 3.

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, add avocado oil and sear the beef cheeks until browned on each side, remove and set aside. In the same dutch oven saute bacon, render out the fat. Once completely rendered and the bacon is crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

STEP 4.

In the same pot add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute until translucent. Salting as you go. Add the tomato paste and saute another 2 minutes until the tomato paste is a rust color, making sure it coats all the vegetables. Deglaze the pot with the bottle of red wine, scraping up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring up to a simmer.

STEP 5.

Return the meat, sachet, and crushed garlic to the pot. The liquid should be 3/4 up the side of the beef or covering. If it is not high enough on the meat, add beef stock until there is enough liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven for 2.5 hours. After 2.5 hours, remove from the oven and test for fork tender / doneness. If it easily shreds, it is done. If it is still tough, return to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until tender.

STEP 6.

Remove the beef and set aside. Remove the sachet and discard. For a thick sauce, blend all of the remaining ingredients in a blender and pour over the beef. For a refined sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer and just use the liquid to pour over the beef. Top with the bacon bits, and serve!