Author Notes
I have made this dish many times because it is a great make ahead of time dish. When a winery party is for 20 or 30 people I have to do as much as I can days before the event. The main reason, however, is that it tastes great and does not cost a fortune to buy the ingredients. The hardest part is finding beef cheeks...restaurants love them for their menus and there are not a lot since each cow only has two! Plus a lot of butchers kill the cow using a method that precludes using the head for anything else. I finally used veal cheeks for this recipe. As with a lot of braised meat recipes the flavor improves after a day or two. (but tastes great right away, too) —dymnyno
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Ingredients
- CABERNET SAUCE
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olive oil
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about 1/2 pounds beef trimmings or stew meat
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1 cup shallots (med chop)
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1 cup leeks (white part only, chopped)
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1/2 carrots (med chop)
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3 garlic cloves (about 1 tbs)
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1 750 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
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1/2 cup cabernet vinegar
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1 cup port wine
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2 quarts veal stock
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a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
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bay leaf
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1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS
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6 whole beef cheeks (or 2 veal cheeks per person)
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1 cup onions (chopped)
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1 cup celery (chopped)
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1 carrot (chopped)
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1 sprig of thyme
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3 garlic cloves (chopped) about 1 tbs.
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1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
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1 750 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
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1 quart veal stock
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salt to taste
Directions
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CABERNET SAUCE: Heat a little oil in a dutch oven or heavy pot and sear the beef trimmings and remove.
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Add the vegetables and brown.
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To the browned vegetables, add the herbs (thyme, bay leaf and pepper) then add the wine, wine vinegar and port and reduce by 1/2.
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Add the veal stock and reduce until the sauce becomes syrupy.
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Strain through chinois. You will have about 1 pint of the reduction.
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BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS: Heat a little oil in a large dutch oven .
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Dry the beef (or veal) cheeks and brown in the dutch oven. Remove and put aside.
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Add the vegetables and carmelize. Add the wine and reduce untill the pot is almost dry.
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Put the cheeks back into the pot and add the veal stock and the herbs (thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns). If the veal stock does not just cover the meat, add a little water.
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Bake in a 250 degree oven for about 3 hours, until tender.
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Remove the meat from the liquid.
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Cool the liquid and remove the solidified fat from it. Remove the vegetables from the liquid. Strain.
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Reduce the liquid by half. When you are ready to make the final preparations reheat the cheeks in the reduced liquid.
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Plate the meat and serve it with the Cabernet Sauce poured over it and extra to be passed.
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