Recipe

Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek with Celeriac & Herb Mash

Name: Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek with Celeriac & Herb Mash
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 beef cheeks (about 300g each), trimmed of excess fat and sinew; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, roughly chopped; 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 200ml robust red wine (Merlot, Rioja or similar); 400ml good beef stock (check label for gluten-free); 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 3 bay leaves; Sea salt and black pepper; For the mash: 1 medium celeriac (about 700g), peeled and cut into chunks; For the mash: 400g floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper), peeled and quartered; For the mash: 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes; For the mash: 4 tbsp crème fraîche; For the mash: small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; For the mash: sea salt and white pepper

Beef cheek braised low and slow in red wine until it collapses under a spoon, served over a silky celeriac and potato mash lifted with fresh parsley. The kind of dish that rewards a Sunday afternoon doing almost nothing in the kitchen.

Serves 4

Ready in 3 hrs 30 min

Keeps 4 days fridge. Freezes well.

Level Moderate

4 beef cheeks (about 300g each), trimmed of excess fat and sinew
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml robust red wine (Merlot, Rioja or similar)
400ml good beef stock (check label for gluten-free)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
For the mash: 1 medium celeriac (about 700g), peeled and cut into chunks
For the mash: 400g floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper), peeled and quartered
For the mash: 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
For the mash: 4 tbsp crème fraîche
For the mash: small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the mash: sea salt and white pepper

Beef cheeks are one of the most gelatin-rich cuts available — the connective tissue dissolves during long braising and gives the finished sauce its glossy, coating quality. They are not interchangeable with quicker cuts: 2 hours 45 minutes is the minimum time to produce a genuinely tender result. At 2 hours, the cheeks will be edible but still firm. At 3 hours, they should collapse under light pressure from a spoon. The braise improves significantly made the day before — refrigerate the cheeks in their sauce, remove the solidified fat the next day, and reheat gently, covered, over a low heat.

Method

Heat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan. Pat the beef cheeks thoroughly dry with kitchen paper — this is essential for browning rather than steaming — and season generously on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over high heat until almost smoking. Brown the cheeks in two batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply coloured all over. Work without moving them so the colour can develop properly. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the fat remaining in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes until softened and beginning to colour at the edges. Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir well, cooking for a further 2 minutes until the purée darkens slightly and loses its raw smell.

Pour in the red wine and let it bubble vigorously, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the base of the pan — these add flavour. Let the wine reduce by about half, around 3 minutes. Add the stock, rosemary and bay leaves. Season well with salt and pepper. Nestle the beef cheeks back into the pan — they should be at least half-submerged in the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover tightly with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours — the cheeks are ready when they yield completely under light pressure from a spoon and feel like they could pull apart without any resistance. Check halfway through: if the liquid has reduced significantly, add a splash of stock or water to maintain the level.

While the beef is in the final hour, make the mash. Cook the celeriac and potato together in a large pan of generously salted boiling water for 20–25 minutes until completely tender — test both; celeriac often takes a little longer than potato. Drain thoroughly and return to the pan over low heat for 2 minutes, shaking gently, to drive off the remaining moisture. Mash or pass through a ricer for a smoother result. Beat in the butter and crème fraîche until smooth and glossy. Stir through the chopped parsley and season well with salt and white pepper.

Lift the beef cheeks carefully from the braising liquid — they will be very tender. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a wide pan, pressing the vegetables firmly to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring the strained sauce to a boil and reduce over high heat for 8–10 minutes until glossy and coating a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return the cheeks to the sauce to warm through. Serve over generous spoonfuls of the celeriac and herb mash.

✦ Chef's note

Beef cheeks are available from butchers and some supermarket meat counters — they may need to be ordered ahead. Ask for them trimmed of the outer sinew layer if possible, though it's not difficult to do yourself with a sharp knife. This dish improves dramatically if made a day ahead: refrigerate the cheeks in their strained sauce overnight, lift off and discard the solidified fat from the surface the next day, then reheat gently, covered, over a low heat with a splash of stock to loosen if needed. The mash is best made fresh on the day — reheat it in a pan over low heat with an extra tablespoon of butter and a splash of milk or crème fraîche. Short-rib or ox cheek can be substituted with similar cooking times.