Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks with Creamy Polenta
25min
3h
4
620
Chef's Note
Beef cheeks perfectly demonstrate the nose-to-tail principle: this hard-working muscle costs a fraction of premium cuts ($4-6/lb vs. $15-20 for filet) but delivers deeper, more complex flavor. The abundant connective tissue that makes them tough when raw transforms into luxurious gelatin during the long braise, creating a silky sauce that no lean cut could match. Ask your butcher for cheeks—they'll often have them in the back and appreciate a customer who knows their value.
Tags
Ingredients
2 lbs beef cheeks, trimmed
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 whole celery stalks, diced
4 whole garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 whole bay leaves
4 whole fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
4 cups water
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 300°F. Pat beef cheeks completely dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear beef cheeks until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- 3
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot, scraping up browned bits. Cook until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until paste darkens.
- 4
Pour in red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot thoroughly. Let wine reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs.
- 5
Return beef cheeks to the pot, nestling them into the liquid (it should come halfway up the sides of the meat). Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- 6
Transfer to the oven and braise for 2.5-3 hours, turning cheeks once halfway through. The meat is ready when it yields easily to a fork and is fall-apart tender.
- 7
About 30 minutes before the beef is done, prepare the polenta. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually whisk in polenta in a steady stream to prevent lumps.
- 8
Reduce heat to low and cook polenta, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy, about 25-30 minutes. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese. Keep warm.
- 9
Remove beef cheeks from the oven and transfer to a plate. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids.
- 10
Bring braising liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce by half until it coats the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 11
Divide creamy polenta among four shallow bowls. Place a beef cheek on each portion, spoon reduced sauce generously over the meat, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Nutrition Information (per serving)
620
48g
38g
24g
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