Picture Recipe – Braised Beef Cheeks

Braised (Slow cooked) Beef Cheeks

Braising / Slow Cooking is the perfect cooking method for Winter. Lamb or Veal Shanks, Pork, Veal or Beef Shoulder, Pork or Veal Feet (Trotter and Osso Bucco), Beef  Brisket, Pork or Beef Ribs, etc… are some of the best meat cuts for slow cooking. When properly prepared it is one of the most full flavoured dishes you can have.  It is important that these meat cuts are prepared in a way that the fat and tendons slowly cook (braise) in order to make the meat tender, tasty and juicy. If however the cooking process has been rushed (too high temperature etc…) the meat will be dry and tough!

Today I have chosen Beef Cheeks for my Slow Cooking Winter dish. Below find step by step instructions. You can as well download the whole Picture Recipe HERE PR_BraisedBeefCheeks.

Equipment and Tool needed: Casserole with lid (oven proof), bowls (stainless steel or glass), strainer (fine sieve), Cutting board, Chef’s knife, Peeler, Small Chef’s knife, Wooden spoon, Plastic foil. (Not in picture: Butcher knife, Small saucepan, Tongue)

 Ingredients needed: 

Olive oil cooking, Cooking oil (Canola), Red Wine cooking, Orange, Parsley flat, Onions white, Garlic fresh, Celery, Carrots, Leek, Tomato fresh, Tomato paste, Chopped canned tomatoes, Beef cube (stock), Water, Bay leaves, Cloves, Juniper Berries, Star Anise, Black Peppercorns, Rosemary fresh, Thyme leaves dry, Tarragon leaves dry, Black Peppercorn mill, Sea salt flakes (Maldon)Beef Cheeks

 

Preparation / Cooking: Prepare Beef Cheeks

-Trim off some fat of Beef Cheeks with Butcher knife on cutting board (red = meat)

-Then make some crisscross incisions (top face of Beef Cheeks) – will assist the Marinade to penetratePut -Beef Cheeks into a stainless steel or glass bowl

Prepare Marinade (ideal to do this 1 day before cooking

• Crush Black Peppercorns, crush Juniper Berries, crush Star Anise
• Peel Orange
• Add all Marinade ingredients (Olive oil, Red Wine cooking, Rosemary sprigs, Thyme and Tarragon leaves dry, all crushed spices (see #4), Bay leaves, Cloves, Orange rind (#5) and juice, Garlic cloves fresh crushed) into bowl (Beef Cheeks). Rub in Marinade with your hands.
• Cover with plastic foil and store in fridge ((ideal 1 day before cooking)

Prepare Mirepoix and other Ingredients (ideal to do this 1 day before cooking)

• Cut Onions, Carrots and Celery into small cubes (Mirepoix), keep / store in fridge separately
• Cut Leek into small cubes, keep / store in fridge separately
• Cut whole fresh tomato into cubes, keep / store in fridge separately
• Cut up stems of fresh Parsley flat, keep / store in fridge separately

Prepare / Cook Beef Cheeks (on the day you will cook the Beef Cheeks)     

• After 1 day (24 hours) take out Beef Cheeks from Marinade
• Slightly pat-dry Beef Cheeks with Kitchen paper towel
• Heat up Oven to 165 C (top and bottom heat)
• Strain off Marinade (keep liquid and aromatics)
• Heat up Casserole, add Cooking oil
• Season (Sea salt flakes (Maldon), Black Peppercorn mill) Beef Cheeks on both sides
• Sautéing (caramelize) Beef Cheeks on both sides for approximately 2 minutes on each side

• Take out and keep aside
• Drain off oil from Casserole
• Add Mirepoix (Onions, Carrots, Celery), sautéing add some salt (cooking) into the same Casserole
• Deglaze with Red Wine cooking (100 ml) and reduce to a glaze
• Add Tomato paste and sautéing for a while (continuous browning)
• Deglaze with rest of Red Wine Cooking, reduce to a syrup
• Add aromatics from Marinade
• Add Leek, Fresh Tomato and Parsley stems, continue reducing for 2-3 minutes
• Add liquid from Marinade (bring to boil before adding)
• Add chopped canned tomatoes, water and beef cube (stock)
• Bring to the boiling point and add Beef Cheeks (ensure Beef Cheeks are covered with the braising liquid)
• Cover with lid
• Slow Cook / Braise in pre-heated oven (165 C) for approximately 3-4 hours
• From time to time (every hour) turn the Beef Cheeks around
• Once the Beef Cheeks are cooked (tender) take out from Casserole
• Keep aside, cover with plastic foil in order to keep moist
• Strain / sieve braising liquid through a fine sieve, use wooden spoon to push through sieve
• Reduce sauce to a syrup like consistency, taste and season if necessary

Plate up and Serve

Recommendations: Served with Polenta and Honey, Orange roasted Beetroots

Glass of Shiraz, Eden Hall, Eden Valley S.A. 2009

Try out my Slow Cooking Recipe, have a go, it tastes delicious

 Just click on the links below to follow:

My Picture Recipe with step-by-step instructions:

PR_BraisedBeefCheeks

Or my Recipe Card with amount and list of ingredients:

RC_BraisedBeefCheeks

Enjoy and Cheers

Chef & Guide Dog User Martin