Red wine braised beef cheeks with glazed onions, smoked bacon and wild mushroom
Author: Andrew Wilkinson
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 beef cheeks
- 500ml red wine
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 sticks celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 black peppercorns
- sprig thyme
- generous knob beef dripping or duck fat
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 500ml chicken stock
- 500ml beef stock
- For the garnish:
- 30g butter
- handful wild mushrooms
- 200g smoked bacon, chopped into pieces
- 12 button shallots, chopped
- selection of cavolo nero
- chopped parsley
Method
- Two days in advance, remove the sinew and excess fat from the beef and place in a dish.
- Pour over the red wine and leave to marinade for 24 hours.
- Peel and dice the vegetables and place in a bowl with the peeled and chopped garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme.
- Remove the beef cheeks from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Keep the marinade to one side.
- Heat beef dripping or duck fat in a pan and add the beef cheeks.
- Caramelise (brown) for 10-15 mins over a medium heat and then set the meat to one side.
- Put the vegetables in the same pan and slowly caramelise.
- Add the tomato purée and cook for 10-15 mins.
- Deglaze with the red wine you used for the marinade and reduce by two thirds.
- Add the beef cheeks to the pan, add the bay leaf and thyme and cover with the beef and chicken stock.
- Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid.
- Place in a preheated oven at 95C/Gas ¼ and cook for 12 hours.
- Take the meat out and allow to rest for 1-2 hours.
- Then strain the sauce and reduce to a nice consistency.
- Put 30g butter in a clean pan and once it foams, add shallots and smoked bacon.
- When the onions are soft, add the wild mushrooms and season.
- Finish with cavalo nero and chopped parsley.
- Warm the beef cheeks and sauce and then serve.
