Braised beef cheeks with red wine and root vegetables

Beef cheeks simmered for hours in red wine and vegetables. This is the braise you'll want on hand all autumn and winter.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 beef cheeks (about 1.2 kg)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, cut into pieces
• 2 parsnips, cut into pieces
• 200 g celeriac, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 350 ml full-bodied red wine
• 500 ml beef stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pat the beef cheeks very dry with kitchen paper and season them generously with salt and pepper on both sides.Heat a splash of oil in the braising pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cheeks for two to three minutes per side until they have a nice brown crust. Remove them from the pan and set aside.Turn the heat down slightly. Sauté the onion, carrot, parsnip and celeriac in the drippings from the meat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to colour.Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for a minute to take away the raw edge.Pour the red wine into the pan and scrape the browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce for 3 minutes.Return the beef cheeks to the pan. Add the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. The meat should be mostly submerged. Bring everything to a boil.Reduce the heat, put the lid on the pan and let everything simmer gently for 3 to 3½ hours. The meat is done when it falls apart when you pierce it with a fork.Carefully remove the beef cheeks from the pan. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the cooking liquid for another 10 minutes without the lid.Return the meat to the sauce, taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately. Lovely with mashed potatoes or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.