Braised Beef Cheeks | Amazing Recipe!

Braised Beef Cheeks — Amazing Recipe!

Presenter / channel: Revival B (assistant named Sparrow appears in the video)

Ingredients

• Beef cheeks — cleaned by your butcher (video plates two cheeks per serving)
• Salt and black pepper — to season
• Plain flour — light dusting for dredging; extra flour for finishing roux
• Oil — for searing
• 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic — diced
• Tomato paste — to build the sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• Whole black peppercorns
• A little fresh mint — added to the braise and strained out (plus a bit for garnish)
• Red wine — about half a bottle (Shiraz used in the video)
• Beef broth — roughly half a carton (store-bought)
• Potatoes — for mashed potatoes
• Water and a pinch of salt — for boiling potatoes
• Butter — for mash and to make an instant roux (one piece rolled in flour)
• Small splash of milk — for mashed potatoes

Equipment & prep

• Heavy skillet or sauté pan for searing
• Ovenproof pot or casserole (or an oven-safe pan with lid) for braising
• Oven preheated to 375°F
• Strainer for the sauce
• Saucepan on stovetop for reducing sauce
• Pot for boiling potatoes and a masher or fork
• Tongs or spatula for flipping

Method

1. Prep meat

   • Ask your butcher to trim/clean beef cheeks if needed.
   • Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
   • Lightly dust each cheek with plain flour.

2. Sear

   • Heat oil in the pan until hot.
   • Sear beef cheeks on both sides until well colored. (Sear for color — braising provides tenderness.)
   • Remove and set the cheeks aside.

3. Build aromatics

   • Add a little oil if needed, then sauté diced carrot, onion, celery and garlic.
   • Season and add tomato paste, bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, salt and pepper.
   • Add a little fresh mint (this will be strained out later).

4. Deglaze and assemble braise

   • Return beef cheeks to the pan.
   • Pour in roughly half a bottle of red wine (Shiraz in the video) and let it reduce slightly.
   • Add beef broth (about half a carton) and bring the liquid to a boil on the stovetop.

5. Oven braise

   • Transfer everything to an oven-safe, covered pot if necessary.
   • Cover and braise in a 375°F oven for about 2 to 2½ hours, until fork-tender.

6. Finish sauce & potatoes

   • Remove beef cheeks and set aside.
   • Strain the braising liquid and return the strained liquid to the stove.
   • Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat to concentrate to the desired consistency (reserve extra rather than over-reducing).
   • To finish and thicken the sauce, roll a piece of butter in flour to make an instant roux and whisk it into the hot sauce for body and gloss.
   • Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender. Drain, then mash with butter and a small splash of milk to desired texture (slightly smooth with a bit of texture is recommended).

7. Plate and serve

   • Spoon mashed potatoes onto the plate and top with braised beef cheek(s) (video plates two cheeks).
   • Spoon the reduced red wine and mint sauce over the meat.
   • Garnish with a little fresh mint.

Timing & temperature highlights

• Oven braise: 375°F for approximately 2–2½ hours (depending on cheek size)
• Sauce reduction: bring to a boil then simmer until desired thickness (time varies)
• Potatoes: cook until fork-tender

Chef tips, technique cues & common pitfalls

• Have the butcher trim/clean the cheeks beforehand.
• A light dusting of flour helps browning and slightly thickens the braising liquid.
• Sear only to develop color; the braise will provide tenderness.
• Add mint to the braise for flavor, but strain it out so it doesn’t end up as leaves in the finished sauce.
• Reserve extra sauce rather than over-reducing — there was “plenty of sauce” in the video.
• Use a simple instant roux (butter rolled in flour) to finish the sauce for body and shine.
• Mash texture is flexible — slightly lumpy or smoother according to preference.

Plating & serving

• Serve braised cheeks over mashed potatoes and spoon the red wine + mint sauce over the meat.
• Garnish with a little fresh mint.
• The presenter plates two cheeks per plate in the video.

Variations / swaps

• Short ribs could be used as an alternative braising cut (inspired by a restaurant dish).
• Wine choice is flexible; Shiraz was used for affordability.
• Store-bought beef broth is an easy substitute for homemade stock.

Sources / credits

• Video/channel: Revival B (assistant Sparrow appears in the video)