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Slow cooked beef cheek Bourguignon in a Dutch oven with glossy red wine sauce, pearl onions, and cremini mushrooms

Slow Cooked Beef Cheek Bourguignon

Beef cheeks braised low and slow in red wine with lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms until the sauce is glossy and the meat falls apart at the touch of a fork.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 610
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the braise
  • 4 pieces (approx 1.2 kg total) beef cheeks, trimmed of silverskin ask butcher to trim
  • 150 g smoked bacon or pancetta lardons cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 500 ml dry red wine (Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
  • 400 ml beef stock, low-sodium
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed skin on is fine
  • 2 medium (approx 200 g) carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces
  • 1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 bundle bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems) tied with kitchen twine
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
  • to taste sea salt and black pepper
For the garnish
  • 200 g pearl onions, peeled (fresh or frozen)
  • 250 g cremini mushrooms, halved
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking garnish
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped to finish

Method
 

Prepare and sear
  1. Heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
  2. Pat beef cheeks dry with paper towels on all sides, then season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lardons and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and the fat has rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  4. Add the olive oil to the rendered lardon fat in the pot. Sear the beef cheeks in 2 batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base
  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and picking up the browned bits from the base.
  2. Add the smashed garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 90 seconds until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
  3. Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any remaining fond. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the beef stock and bring back to a simmer. Return the seared cheeks and lardons to the pot. Nestle in the bouquet garni. The liquid should come halfway up the cheeks.
Braise
  1. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and transfer to the oven. Braise at 160 C / 320 F for 4 to 4.5 hours, turning the cheeks once at the 2-hour mark, until the meat is completely tender and yields easily when pressed with a spoon.
  2. After 2 hours, skim any fat from the surface using a wide spoon or skimmer and discard. Return the lid and continue braising.
Cook the garnish
  1. About 45 minutes before the cheeks are done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden.
  2. Add the halved cremini mushrooms and cook for a further 5 to 6 minutes until glossy and browned at the edges. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the braising pot for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the pot from the oven. Lift out the beef cheeks and set aside. Discard the bouquet garni and the large vegetable chunks (carrots, celery, onion) using a slotted spoon.
  2. If the sauce looks thin, place the pot over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  3. Return the cheeks to the sauce and let rest for 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls or onto plates, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

The finished braise tastes noticeably better on day two once the sauce has had time to meld in the refrigerator overnight. Skim the solidified fat from the top before reheating for the cleanest result.