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Braised Beef Cheeks with Creamy Mash and Peppercorn Sauce ← All recipes
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Braised Beef Cheeks with Creamy Mash and Peppercorn Sauce

Slow-Cooked Beef Cheeks

  • 2 beef cheeks
  • 3 tbsp flour, to coat the beef
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 8 small celery sticks, diced
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 whole bottle red wine
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • Handful of fresh thyme
  • Handful of black peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves

Creamy Mashed Potato

  • 4 Maris Piper potatoes
  • 4 tbsp butter, cubed
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • Splash of milk, to loosen
  • 1 tsp salt (plus pepper to taste)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Peppercorn Sauce

  • Handful of fresh peppercorns
  • 4 shallots, diced
  • 2 tbsp brandy
  • 1 ladle reduced braising liquid (reserved from the beef)
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Chives, to garnish

Directions

  • Pat the beef cheeks dry and coat in flour, then sear in a hot pan for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
  • Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Return the beef cheeks to the pan with the red wine, beef stock, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover with a cartouche and braise at 140°C (285°F) for 4 1/2 hours until meltingly tender.
  • Strain off the braising liquid and reduce it by half, reserving a ladleful for the peppercorn sauce.
  • For the mash, boil the peeled potatoes for about 30 minutes until soft. Mash and beat in the butter, cream, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, loosening with a splash of milk.
  • For the sauce, crush the black peppercorns and add to a dry pan with the butter. Add the shallots and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the brandy and flambé, then stir in the reserved braising liquid, cream, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until you reach a glossy, pourable consistency.
  • Spoon the creamy mash onto plates, top with a beef cheek, blanket in the peppercorn sauce, and finish with chopped chives.

A rich French-style comfort plate: beef cheeks braised low and slow in red wine until spoon-tender, served over Dijon mash and drowned in a brandy peppercorn sauce. Via Instagram reel by Lochan Nowacki (@lochan_nowacki), recipe inspo @papabwoi. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dew0HJ0uUQG/