Description
These slow-braised wagyu beef cheeks are rich, tender, and deeply flavorful, cooked low and slow in red wine with aromatic vegetables until they melt in your mouth. Finished with a glossy peppercorn jus and served with creamy multigrain porridge and sautéed broccoli rabe, this cozy dish feels restaurant-worthy yet comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 wagyu beef cheeks
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups red wine
- Veal or beef stock, enough to cover
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons green peppercorns
- Broccoli rabe
- Olive oil
- Sliced garlic
- Pinch of chili flakes
- Lemon zest
- Steel-cut oats
- Farro
- Barley
- Buckwheat
- Corn
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Milk
- Butter
- Parmesan
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season wagyu beef cheeks generously with salt and pepper. Place them with onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaves in a container and pour red wine over everything. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove cheeks from marinade and pat dry. Preheat oven to 250°F.
- In a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear the cheeks until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the marinated vegetables until caramelized. Pour in the reserved wine marinade and reduce by about three-quarters.
- Add enough veal or beef stock to cover the cheeks. Simmer briefly, then carefully blend the vegetables and liquid until smooth and strain if desired.
- Return the wagyu cheeks to the pot with thyme and bay leaves. Cover and braise in the oven for 3 to 3.5 hours until fork-tender.
- Let the cheeks cool in the braising liquid overnight in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
- For the glaze, warm molasses in a saucepan, add vinegar and a ladle of braising liquid, then place the cheeks in the sauce and baste.
- Broil briefly for a glossy finish, then baste again and stir green peppercorns into the sauce.
- Cook the mixed grains with a 5-to-1 ratio of liquid to grains for about 40 minutes until tender. Stir in milk, butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Blanch broccoli rabe briefly, then sauté with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and lemon zest.
- Serve the beef cheeks over the creamy grains, drizzle with peppercorn jus, and top with broccoli rabe.
Notes
Letting the beef cheeks rest overnight in the braising liquid deepens the flavor and improves texture. Cook low and slow to allow the connective tissue to break down fully. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving for the best balance.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 720 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 640 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 48 g
- Cholesterol: 170 mg