Braised Beef Cheeks with Chanterelles & Honeyed Baby Turnips

Braised Beef Cheeks with Chanterelles & Honeyed Baby Turnips

Sarah MickeyAll Recipes, Beef Recipes, Chanterelle Mushroom Recipes, Cheek Meat Recipes, Cold Weather Recipes, FAVORITE WINTER RECIPES

Braised Beef Cheeks with Chanterelles & Honeyed Baby Turnips

Makes 4 Servings
wine WINE PAIRING
Northern Rhone Red (Syrah)

Beef cheeks are an affordable cut that’s a fall & winter favorite on fine dining menus. They provide plenty of bold, beefy flavor, and when slow-braised become luxuriously tender, melting lots of gelatin into the sauce for a luxuriously silky mouth feel.

This recipe pairs them with buttery, earthy chanterelle mushrooms and earthy braised turnips, whose bitterness is smoothed with a touch of honey.

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 Grass-Fed Angus Beef Cheeks
  • 1 ¾ tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp High Heat Oil
  • 1lb Small Turnips, peeled & cut into ¾” wedges
  • 1 tsp Honey
  • 1/2lb Fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms (could substitute other fresh mushrooms)
  • 2 tbsp + ½ cup Dry White Vermouth
  • 2 tbsp minced Flat Leaf Parsley
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 20 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 2 Carrots, diced
  • 3 Celery Stalks, diced
  • 1 tsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 quart Lowest Sodium Beef Stock or Bouillon
  • Plus: Butcher’s Twine

DIRECTIONS

1

Season the beef cheeks liberally with a teaspoon of salt. Pour a tablespoon of the oil into the bottom of a deep pot. Get it very hot over high heat, then carefully lay in the cheeks. Sear the cheeks on all sides until they develop a browned crust.

2

Remove the beef cheeks from the pan.

3

Add the 2nd tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the turnip wedges and a ¼ tsp of salt. Sear the turnip wedges until well browned, then remove them from the pan.

4

Add the chanterelles to the pan along with ¼ tsp of salt. Let them sear until the bottoms are well browned, then stir to turn them (how to saute mushrooms).

5

When the mushrooms are well browned, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of the white vermouth. Simmer until the vermouth has completely evaporated, then remove the mushrooms from the pan. Put them in a small bowl with the chopped parsley & toss the two together.

6

Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot along with another ¼ tsp of salt and the remaining tablespoon of high heat oil.

7

Cook the onion, carrots and celery until well browned. Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce, fish sauce, and the remaining ½ cup of vermouth.

8

Cook the liquid down, then add back the beef cheeks and turnips, along with the quart of beef stock/ bouillon.

9

Tie the bay leaves and thyme sprigs together with butcher’s twine (this is called a “bouquet garni”), then add them to the pot.

10

Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the lid to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Braise until the cheeks are fork tender (about 2-2 ½ hours).

11

Remove the beef cheeks from the braising liquid & cut them into halves. Remove & discard the herb bundle.

12

Simmer the braising liquid until it reduces by half & thickens.

13

Add the chanterelle & parsley mixture to the braising liquid & simmer briefly, just until they’re warmed through.

14

Pour the vegetable & sauce mixture into bowls & top each with half of a beef cheek. Serve.