Beef cheeks in red wine
This dish of slow-cooked beef cheeks makes for a comforting evening meal
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
Ingredients
- 1kg beef cheeks, cut into 3-4 pieces
- 4tbsp olive oil
- ½celery stick, finely diced
- 4carrots, finely diced
- 2onions, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2parsley sprigs, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp
- 1bay leaf
- 5peppercorns
- 5allspice berries
- 1thyme sprig, plus extra for garnishing
- 1rosemary sprig
- 2tbsp tomato purée
- 1l good-quality red wine
- 700ml beef stock
- 1tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
- 4tbsp cold butter, diced
- 12medium-sized mushrooms
- mashed potatoes, to serve
Instructions
Step 1
Pat the beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an ovenproof saucepan over a medium heat and brown the cheeks all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Tip the celery and carrot into the pan and fry for 8 mins until golden, then add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 mins until golden. Add the chopped parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice, thyme, rosemary and tomato purée, and stir for another minute. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced to a third – this will take about 30 mins. Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.Step 2
Return the roasted cheeks to the pan and pour in the beef stock. Cover and simmer gently in the oven for about 2 hrs. Remove the cheeks to a plate and strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Season with salt and pepper, or sweeten lightly with a little sugar, if you like. Just before serving, beat 2 tbsp butter into the sauce.Step 3
Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the mushrooms for 8-10 mins until golden, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining tbsp of chopped parsley.Step 4
When serving, put the mash in the centre of each plate, place the cheek on top and carefully pour the sauce over it. Garnish with roasted mushrooms and a sprig of thyme. This recipe has been provided by Apetit Online and has not been re-tested by us.