Beef Cheeks are one of the best-value, most flavourful cuts in the shop. Rich, well-marbled, and built for slow cooking, they turn into something meltingly tender with almost no active effort — you just need time.
What makes beef cheeks special: they come from a hard-working muscle, which means dense connective tissue and deep flavour. Cooked quickly, that toughness stays. Cooked low and slow, it breaks down into rich, gelatinous tenderness — the same principle behind short rib or oxtail, but at a better price point.
Ingredients:
- 2 beef cheeks (approx. 500g pack)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 250ml red wine or beef stock
- 500ml beef stock
- 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Pat the cheeks dry, season generously, and sear in a hot pan with a little oil until deeply browned on all sides.
- Remove the cheeks, then soften the onion, carrot, and celery in the same pan.
- Deglaze with the red wine or stock, scraping up the browned bits.
- Return the cheeks to the pan, add stock to almost cover, plus the bay leaf and thyme.
- Cover and cook low (140-150°C oven, or a bare simmer on the hob) for 3-4 hours, until the meat yields to a fork with no resistance.
- Rest briefly, then serve whole over mash with the reduced braising liquid, or shred through pappardelle for a rustic ragu.
Note: Beef cheeks improve overnight — the flavour deepens as they rest in their own juices. Order beef cheeks from JP Butcher for delivery in as little as 24 hours, or pick them up fresh from our Bridge Street counter.
