Name: Joues de boeuf en daube (French beef cheeks)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Joues de boeuf en daube (french beef cheeks); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 20 gram butter; 1 large brown onion, sliced; 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed and peeled; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 4 large thyme springs; 2 bay leaves; 2 strips orange rind; 2 1/2 tablespoon plain flour; sea salt and cracked black pepper; 2 large (650 g total) beef cheeks, silverskin removed, halved; 1 cup red wine (such as merlot); 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice; 2 cup beef stock; 2 400g tins cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped; crusty bread, to serve

Joues de boeuf en daube (French beef cheeks)

Beef cheeks are cooked for two hours until tender in a rich red wine stew for a delicious wintery dish

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

2H 15M

Total

2H 30M

Ingredients

Joues de boeuf en daube (french beef cheeks)

1 tablespoon olive oil

20 gram butter

1 large brown onion, sliced

1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed and peeled

2 celery stalks, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 large thyme springs

2 bay leaves

2 strips orange rind

2 1/2 tablespoon plain flour

sea salt and cracked black pepper

2 large (650 g total) beef cheeks, silverskin removed, halved

1 cup red wine (such as merlot)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 cup beef stock

2 400g tins cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped

crusty bread, to serve

Method

Joues de boeuf en daube (french beef cheeks)

1.Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Heat half each of olive oil and butter in ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat.

2.Cook onion, carrot and celery in saucepan for 7 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves and rind. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Spoon into bowl and set aside.

3.Season flour with salt and pepper. Generously dust beef cheeks with seasoned flour. Heat remaining butter and oil in same pan. Cook one side of beef cheeks for 2 minutes, until golden. Turn beef and cook for a further 2 minutes, then transfer to bowl with vegetables.

4.Add wine and juice to saucepan; using wooden spoon, stir and scrape brown bits from base of pan (this is called “deglazing”). Boil for 2 minutes, until reduced slightly. Add stock, vegetables and meat. Stir to combine.

5.Cover with lid and bake in oven, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours; until beef is meltingly tender.

6.Remove from oven and stir through cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7.Scatter over chopped parsley and enjoy with crusty bread.

You can make this stew to step 5 and keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat it over medium heat, and add the cannellini beans and parsley before serving. For a quicker-cooking stew, or if you can’t find beef cheeks, use chuck steak instead. It’s a cheaper cut and more readily available in supermarkets. Cut it into cubes and cook for about 1-2 hours at step 5.
Note

Women's Weekly Food