WHAT DO YOU USE BEEF CHEEK MEET FOR?

You can repurpose leftovers into tacos, sandwiches, pasta sauces, or cold meat in salads and sandwiches.

BEEF CHEEKS (IN A SLOW COOKER!)

Description

Beef cheeks (in a slow cooker!) are tender with deep, rich flavors. Using simple ingredients like carrots, potatoes, peas, and red wine. Plus, they’re packed with collagen, protein and are budget-friendly.

Ingredients

Scale

2 1/2 pounds beef cheeks (about 1 kg)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup flour

3-6 tablespoons olive oil

1 knob of butter (about 3 tablespoons)

2 cups of yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry red wine (use cheap wine!)

4 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 lb baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered

2 bay leaves

1 spring rosemary

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup cold water + 3 tablespoons cornstarch

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Instructions

1. Sear the Beef Cheeks Pat the beef cheeks dry and season well with salt and pepper. Dredge them lightly in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef cheeks for about 3 minutes per side until browned. Add more oil as needed. Transfer the beef cheeks to your slow cooker.

Cooking beef cheeks in a skillet. They are covered in flour.

2. Build the Flavor In the same skillet, add the butter and diced onions. Sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Let the wine simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly.

Pouring red wine into the fried onion mixture.

3. Slow Cook Pour the onion and wine mixture over the beef cheeks in the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Stir gently to combine. Toss in the carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until the beef cheeks are fork-tender.

Beef cheeks in a slow cooker.

4. Thicken the Sauce About 30 minutes before serving, mix the cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker along with the frozen peas. Cover and let it cook for the final 30 minutes to thicken.

5. Serve & Enjoy Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the beef cheeks with their rich sauce over mashed potatoes, polenta, or simply enjoy as is!

Notes

Coat lightly, not heavily.
When dredging in flour, shake off the excess. A thin, even coating gives you the perfect golden crust without turning gummy in the slow cooker.

Sear in batches.
Don’t overcrowd the pan — your cheeks need space to brown. If they’re touching, they’ll steam instead of caramelize, and you’ll miss out on that gorgeous flavor.

Use cheap red wine.
Choose a dry red wine that's not expensive. It will still do the trick! Just don’t use anything overly sweet..

Deglaze the pan.
When you pour in the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift all those browned bits — they’re full of flavor for your sauce.

Don’t add peas too early.
Stir in frozen peas right at the end so they stay bright green and plump instead of mushy.

Thicken gradually.
Add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time and stir gently. You can always add more, but you can’t undo over-thickening.

Let it rest before serving.
Even in stews, a short 10-minute rest allows flavors to settle and gives the sauce time to slightly thicken.

Category: Main Course, Family Dinners
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American