Italian Braised Beef Cheeks
You can also use beef shank, kaluchel, short ribs, brisket or any chuck roast (these cuts will take less time to cook than beef cheeks).
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 4 KOL Foods beef cheeks
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 lb KOL Foods beef "Bacon," chopped
- 1 cup sliced shallots
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped, peeled carrot
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 once sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed) soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained, and sliced
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 2 cups KOL Foods Beef Broth
- 1/4 cup Dijion mustard
- 8 juniper berries, crushed
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, the ground sage and paprika in a shallow bowl. Dredge the cheeks in the mixture, shaking off any excess flour.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and brown the cheeks on all sides, about 7 minutes. (You may need to do this in batches.) Remove the cheeks from the pot and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Pour in the white wine, stir, and bring to a boil, scrapping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour the wine into a bowl and reserve.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the beef bacon to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, carrot, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the brandy and broth and stir, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the reserve wine, mustard, juniper berries, 2 teaspoons of rosemary, and the fresh sage and return the cheeks to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, or until the beef is very tender, turning over the cheeks every hour and adding more broth if necessary.
5. Remove the pot from the oven and degrease the sauce. If it's too thin, remove the cheeks from the sauce and bring to a boil to concentrate the flavors.
6. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons rosemary and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Cut the meat into large chunks, and rewarm if necessary. Serve with plenty of sauce.
Serves 4