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Braised Beef Cheeks with Shallot Jus in a bowl

Braised Beef Cheeks with Shallot Jus

Shilpi & Etienne | between2kitchens
Juicy, meltingly tender beef cheeks, slow braised in red wine and served with a sweet and sour shallot jus, deep in flavour and easy to prepare.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Servings 4 people
Calories 658 kcal

Equipment

  • wide heavy bottom pot with lid
  • fine strainer
  • pan

Ingredients
 
 

for the beef cheeks

  • 4 beef cheeks (around 1.2kilogram or 2.6 pounds)
  • 400 milliliters red wine
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped in dices
  • 2 small celery sticks chopped in dices
  • 1 large brown onion peeled and chopped in dices
  • 2 garlic clove peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 clove
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • olive oil as needed
  • salt to taste

for the shallot jus

  • 10 medium shallots peeled and cut in rings
  • olive oil as needed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

for the beef cheeks

  • Remove any sinew tissue and excess fat from the beef cheeks and prepare your vegetables and other ingredients.
  • Heat up a heavy bottom wide pot on high heat.
  • Season the beef cheeks generously with salt from both sides. Add a little olive oil to the pan and roast the cheeks from all sides. Caramelise the cheeks as much as possible as this will add flavour and depth to the sauce.
  • Remove the beef cheeks from the pan and set aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and add the mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions).
  • Roast the mirepoix for a few minutes, caramelising them lightly. Now add the tomato paste to the mirepoix and roast all together. Cooking out the paste will remove any raw tomato flavour.
  • Next deglaze the pan with the red wine. Use a wooden spoon and scrape off any burnt particles from the bottom of the pan.
  • Reduce the heat and add the herbs, spices and garlic. Finally add the beef cheeks back to the pot and add enough water (or beef stock if you prefer) to submerge the cheeks completely.
  • Add a pinch of salt to the braising liquid and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer on low heat for 2½ hours turning the cheeks 2-3 times during the cooking time. To ensure the cheeks stay submerged in braising liquid, you occasionally might have to top it up with some more liquid.
  • Once the cooking time is up, use a skewer or fork to insert into the cheeks - they should be soft as butter by now! If not, continue braising the cheeks until they are done.

for the shallot jus

  • Remove the braised beef cheeks from the pot and strain the cooking liquid. Now add the cooking liquid into a smaller pot and reduce to ⅓ on simmer.
  • Meanwhile prepare the shallots. Cut them into thick rings and roast them in a pan with olive oil on high heat. Once the shallots start caramelising, reduce the heat to low and season them with salt.
  • Add the reduced jus to the shallots and simmer for a few minutes to combine them well.

to plate up

  • we recommend serving the beef cheeks with mashed potatoes, topped with the shallot jus. Serve the remaining jus on the side

Notes

Alternatively, the cheeks can be braised in the oven, covered at 160°C (325°F)  for the same duration of cooking time.
If you find the sauce too sweet, add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to balance the jus.
 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Braised Beef Cheeks with Shallot Jus
Amount Per Serving (180 g)
Calories 658 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Cholesterol 186mg62%
Sodium 350mg15%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 55g110%
Vitamin A 5380IU108%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 110mg11%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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