Description
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth slow cooker beef cheeks braised in red wine, rich beef broth, herbs, and aromatic vegetables. This cozy comfort dinner creates a deep savory sauce and buttery texture perfect over mashed potatoes, polenta, noodles, or risotto.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 3 beef cheeks, trimmed
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional, for finishing)
Instructions
- Trim the silver skin from the beef cheeks. Pat dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear cheeks until browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, sauté onion, carrot, and celery until softened.
- Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits.
- Transfer the wine mixture to the slow cooker and add beef broth, balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until fork-tender.
- Remove the beef cheeks and bay leaves. Strain or blend the sauce until smooth.
- Stir in butter for a glossy finish and serve whole or gently shredded over mashed potatoes, polenta, noodles, or risotto.
Notes
Searing adds deeper flavor but can be skipped if short on time. If sauce is thin, simmer on the stove to reduce or stir in a cornstarch slurry. Leftovers keep well and taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg