Braised Beef Cheeks

Beef cheeks are packed with bold, beefy flavor, and a meltingly delicious tenderness that’s unlocked through slow, low temperature braises. Here’s a recipe pairing them with earthy/bitter turnips, sweet honey, and earthy, umami-rific mushrooms.

Ingredients Servings: 4

  • 2 Grass-Fed Angus Beef Cheeks
  • Salt
  • Cooking Oil
  • 1lb Baby Turnips, peeled & cut into ¾” wedges
  • 1 tsp Honey
  • ½# Mushrooms (Chanterelles used)
  • 2 T + ½ C Dry White Vermouth
  • 2 T Minced Italian Parsley
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 20 Sprigs of Thyme
  • 1 Diced Onion
  • 2 Diced Carrots
  • 3 Diced Celery Stalks
  • 1 qt Beef Bouillon or Stock

Instructions

1
Season the beef cheeks liberally with a teaspoon of salt. Pour a tablespoon of cooking oil into the bottom of a deep pot. Get it very hot over high heat, then carefully lay in the cheeks. Turn the cheeks as they brown to brown them on all sides.
2
Remove the beef cheeks from the pan.
3
Add more oil to the pan along with the turnip pieces and a ¼ tsp of salt. Sear the turnips until they’ve browned, then remove them from the pan.
4
Cut the mushrooms into bite sized pieces if necessary. Add them to the pan along with ¼ tsp of salt. Let them sear until the bottoms are well browned, then stir to turn them.
5
When the mushrooms are well browned, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of the white vermouth. Simmer until the vermouth evaporates, then remove the mushrooms from the pan.
6
Toss the mushrooms in the chopped parsley.
7
Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot along with another ¼ tsp of salt and additional cooking oil.
8
Cook the onion, carrots and celery until well browned. Deglaze the pan with the remaining vermouth.
9
Simmer until the vermouth has evaporated, then return the beef cheeks and turnips to the pan.
10
Pour in the beef stock/ bouillon.
11
Tie the bay leaves and thyme sprigs together with butcher’s twine (to make them easier to retrieve later). Add them to the pot.
12
Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the lid to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Braise for about 2 to 2 ½ hours, until the cheeks are tender.
13
Remove the cheeks from the braising liquid & cut them in half. Discard the herb bundle.
14
Simmer the braising liquid until it reduces by half & thickens.
15
Add the mushroom & parsley mixture to the braising liquid & simmer briefly to reheat it.
16
Ladle the contents of the pot into bowls, then add a beef cheek half to each. Serve.