Beef cheeks

I always order beef cheeks if they’re on the menu when I’m out at a restaurant. There were a couple of memorable occasions when I had them last year during our trips to Italy. The first was in October in Venice, where the beef cheeks were cooked in a bottle of Valpolicella. The second time was in Turin, right before Christmas, as part of a five-course Piedmont tasting menu. On both occasions, the beef cheeks were melt-in-your-mouth tender and I knew I had to recreate this dish back in London.

This recipe doesn’t require much skill, but what you do need is time. The beef cheeks need at least 3 hours cooking time in the oven. I like to serve them over truffle mashed potatoes, which you can make by boiling potatoes, then mashing with butter and truffle oil and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serves 2

Ingredients

500g beef/ox cheeks
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
3 stems fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Season the beef cheeks all over with salt and pepper. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or casserole dish over a medium-high heat and sear the beef cheeks on each side until nicely brown. Remove to a plate.

2. Turn the heat down and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the celery and carrots and sauté for another few minutes.

3. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, then add the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Return the beef cheeks to the pot.

4. If your pot is oven-proof then put the lid on and cook in the oven at 160°C for around 3.5 hours. Otherwise, transfer everything to an oven dish and cover tightly with tinfoil.

5. Remove the beef cheeks from the dish and strain the sauce through a sieve. Bring the sauce to a simmer on a medium heat and reduce by about one third. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

6. Return the beef cheeks to the sauce, coating them all over. Serve on truffle mashed potatoes topped with a generous amount of sauce.