Braised Ox Cheek Recipe

1. Trim & Season

Pat the ox cheeks dry with paper towels. Trim away excess silver skin or large pockets of fat so meat will braise evenly. Generously season all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then lightly dust each cheek with the all-purpose flour, shaking off excess. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare other components.

2. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Heat a heavy, oven-safe braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil and the butter. When the butter foams and oil is shimmering, add the ox cheeks and brown well on all sides, about 4–6 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Transfer browned cheeks to a plate and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery to the braiser and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 8–10 minutes. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly and loses its raw taste.

4. Pour in about half of the red wine (250 ml) to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine by about half, 4–6 minutes. Add the remaining red wine and let it return to a simmer for 1–2 minutes.

5. Return the browned ox cheeks to the braiser, nestling them among the vegetables. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, rosemary (if using) and whole peppercorns. The liquid should come about halfway up the cheeks; if necessary add up to 100 ml water to reach that level. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.

6. Cover the braiser with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise gently until the cheeks are fork-tender and almost falling apart, about 2.5–3.5 hours depending on size. Check once halfway through to ensure liquid level is adequate; add a splash of water or stock if it looks too low.

7. Carefully remove the braiser from the oven. Transfer the ox cheeks to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables to extract flavor. Discard solids and skim off excess fat from the surface of the strained liquid (or refrigerate briefly and remove solidified fat).

8. Place the strained sauce over medium-high heat and reduce until slightly thickened and flavorful, about 8–12 minutes. If you prefer a thicker glossy sauce, make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk it into the simmering sauce; cook 1–2 minutes until glossy. Stir in the red wine vinegar to brighten the sauce, then whisk in the cold tablespoon of butter to finish and add silkiness. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

9. Return the ox cheeks to the sauce to warm through for a few minutes, spooning sauce over them to coat.

10. Serve each ox cheek whole or shredded over mashed potatoes or polenta. Spoon generous amounts of the braising sauce over the meat and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.