There’s nothing quite like slow cooking to bring out the best in a great cut of beef. Our Irish beef cheeks are beautifully marbled and full of natural collagen, which breaks down during cooking to create meltingly tender meat and a rich, glossy sauce.
This classic red wine braise is the ultimate comfort dish — deep flavour, fork-soft beef and silky creamed potatoes to soak up every drop.
Perfect for a relaxed Sunday dinner or when you want to impress with minimal effort.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 large Hugh Maguire Butchers beef cheeks
- Maldon salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4–5 shallots, halved
- 3 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 head garlic, halved
- Olive oil
- ½ tube tomato purée
- ½ bottle red wine (cabernet or red blend works best)
- Beef stock
- Fresh rosemary, thyme & bay leaves
For the creamed potatoes:
- Potatoes, peeled
- 500ml double cream
- 5 tbsp butter
- Fresh chives
- Salt to taste
Method
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Trim any excess fat or sinew from the beef cheeks. Season generously with salt and pepper and leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight for best results).
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Pat dry and sear in a hot pan for 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and caramelised. Remove and set aside.
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In the same pan, sauté the carrots, shallots, celery and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes until softened.
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Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with the red wine.
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Return the beef cheeks to the pot and cover with beef stock. Add the herbs.
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Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low heat for 3½–4 hours until the beef is fork tender.
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Remove the beef and strain the cooking liquid. Reduce the liquid by half to create a rich sauce.
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Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender. Warm the cream and butter together until smooth and emulsified, then fold through the mashed potatoes with chopped chives and seasoning.
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Return the beef to the reduced sauce and baste until glossy and heated through.
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Serve the creamed potatoes first, top with the beef cheeks and spoon generously over the red wine sauce.
Butcher’s Tip
Beef cheeks are one of our favourite slow-cooking cuts — full of flavour and beautifully tender when braised. Ask our team in-store for more low-and-slow recipe ideas.
