Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks

Serves 4

Time: 🕰🕰🕰
Effort: 💪💪

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots
1 celery stalk
2 sprigs thyme
1 Bay leaf
Beef cheeks (one pack; around 500g)
Half bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
Flour
Half jar Tomato passata, around 250ml
1 mug of beef stock (optional)
Olive oil, salt, pepper

Method:

1. Defrost pack of beef cheeks in a sink filled with room temperature water
2. Chop carrots into small medallions, about 4 coins thick
3. Chop celery into similar-sized chunks as the carrots
4. Cut beef cheeks into large chuck; aim for 2 to 3 chunks per person
5. In a large bowl or pot, place beef cheeks, carrots and celery, thyme, and bay leaf
6. Pour over red wine, making sure beef is submerged (it doesn’t matter if veg is submerged or not)
7. Soak for at least 6 hours
8. Preheat oven to 190’C
9. Take out the beef chunks, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper on all sides
10. Dust each beef chunk in flour and then fry in a pan of olive oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside (about 5 minutes)
11. Remove beef chunks from pan and set aside
12. Fish out the carrots and celery from the red wine and sautée in the same oil and same pan until softened
13. Pour the red wine juice into the pan and heat until liquid is reduced by half
14. Add tomato passata and beef stock (if using) to the pan and mix well
15. Check saltiness and add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the sauce will reduce a bit in the oven
16. Transfer contents of the pan into an overproof baking vessel
17. Place beef chunks into the baking vessel so that they are evenly spaced out
18. As a guide, the liquid should almost cover the top of the beef chunks; if not, add a little water or stock (if using)
19. Cover contents with a layer of parchment paper, touching the contents, to keep moist and absorb oil while cooking
20. Seal the whole vessel in kitchen foil so that it’s more or less air tight
21. Bake in oven for 1 1/2 hrs
22. Divide contents into serving dishes
23. Garnish with thyme, parsley, or anything nice and green
24. Serve contents with pappardelle, polenta, rice, mashed potatoes, or on its own as a main course