Beef cheeks are an underrated and delicious cut of meat that deserves more attention. Here’s a complete guide on what beef cheeks are, where to find them, and how to cook them for fork-tender, flavorful results.
What Part of the Cow are Beef Cheeks?
Beef cheeks come from the facial muscles of a cow They are technically a part of the chuck primal cut, which comes from the shoulder and neck region
Beef cheeks are worked hard during a cow’s lifetime as they are used extensively for chewing. This gives the meat a lot of connective tissue When cooked properly by braising or stewing, this connective tissue breaks down to become succulent and tender
Buying Beef Cheeks
In the past beef cheeks were more difficult to source and mainly obtained by restaurants. Nowadays they are becoming more readily available at butcher shops and even some grocery stores.
When buying beef cheeks, look for meat that is bright red and evenly marbled with fat. Avoid any with dry or brown spots. Plan on roughly 1 pound of beef cheeks per person. Let your butcher know ahead of time if you need a large quantity.
Expect to pay around $6-12 per pound for beef cheeks, making them a relatively affordable cut.
How To Prepare Beef Cheeks
Beef cheeks benefit greatly from an initial browning step. This adds a nice caramelized crust and enhances the flavor.
Pat the cheeks dry and generously season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the cheeks in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until well browned. Transfer to a plate.
Pour off excess fat, then add aromatics to the pan like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables soften.
Braising Beef Cheeks Low and Slow
Return the seared beef cheeks back to the pan along with enough liquid to come about halfway up the meat. Beef or chicken broth work very well, as does red wine or a combination.
Bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer, then cover and place in a 300°F oven. Braise for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours until extremely tender when poked with a fork.
Alternative Cooking Methods
While braising in the oven is ideal, beef cheeks can also be stewed on the stovetop or cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
For the stovetop, maintain a gentle simmer and cook covered for around 2 hours. In a slow cooker or Instant Pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serving Suggestions
The rich, gelatinous cooking liquid makes an incredible sauce or gravy for the succulent beef cheeks. Serve atop creamy mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or polenta to soak up every last drop.
Beef cheeks pair wonderfully with robust flavors like mushrooms, red wine, olives, and warm spices like thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. They work in all sorts of recipes from hearty stews to tacos.
Leftovers can be shredded for beef cheek ragu, sandwiches, or mixed into bean chili. The meat also freezes well for several months.
Perfectly Cooked Beef Cheeks In 5 Easy Steps
- Pat dry and generously season beef cheeks with salt and pepper
- Quickly sear in batches over high heat until browned
- Cook aromatics then return cheeks to the pan
- Braise low and slow in flavorful liquid for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours
- Shred or slice beef cheeks and serve with the delicious cooking sauce
With their rich texture and complex flavor, braised beef cheeks are a wonderful addition to your dinner repertoire. Just be sure to cook them low and slow. This melts away sinewy connective tissue to reward you with fork-tender, succulent meat that falls off the bone.
What are beef cheeks?
Beef cheek meat is exactly as it sounds, the dense muscle of a cow’s cheek. It’s a very tough type of meat due to the amount of connective tissue in it. However, with the right cooking method, the tissue is broken down to reveal its pull apart, perfect texture, and rich flavor. While it’s a relatively inexpensive cut of meat in comparison to fast-cooking steak cuts, over the last few years it’s become quite popular with professional chefs and home cooks alike and is classed as a specialty cut of meat.
To get tender beef cheeks, they need to braise in either beef stock or another cooking liquid at low heat in a casserole dish for a couple of hours. This is how I think about it… our cheeks are exercised continuously every day, whether it be from eating or facial expressions. The more that a part of the animal is exercised, the longer the cooking process is to get tender, edible meat. Some of the most popular slow-cook beef cuts are chuck steak, shin, brisket, and silverside.
Where do I buy beef cheeks from?
Here’s the good news! A couple of years ago, beef cheeks were a restaurant-only cut of meat. Unless you knew your butcher shop really well, or bought in bulk they were relatively hard to come across. I now find that most supermarkets stock beef cheeks on the shelves and they are readily available.
How To prepare Beef Cheeks
FAQ
What are beef cheeks called in USA?
Also known as barbacoa meat, beef cheek meat is great in tacos, quesadillas, burritos and other delicious dishes. What is beef cheek meat? Beef cheeks come from the face of the cow, next to the jaw muscle. Our cheek meat produces a wonderful, melt-in-your-mouth bite packed with traditional flavor.
Is beef cheek a good cut of meat?
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YouTube · Chuds BBQhttps://www.youtube.comThe BEST Beef Cheek Recipe! | Chuds BBQApr 5, 2022 — still got a wonderful bark on there incredibly tender i mean you saw me Just pulling that slice apart but it still holds its shape it’s still structu…
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Lone Mountain Wagyuhttps://www.lonemountainwagyu.com5 Reasons Why You Should Be Smoking Beef Cheeks
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Allrecipeshttps://www.allrecipes.comCheeks Are the Tender Cut That Make Our Favorite Comfort Foods Even …Jan 11, 2021 — Cheeks Are the Tender Cut That Make Our Favorite Comfort Foods Even Better. … Because they are well-marbled and muscled, they are ideal for things…
Are beef cheeks expensive?
Are Beef Cheeks expensive? Beef Cheeks used to be one of the cheaper cuts & referred to as an Offal cut by the wholesalers. Recently modern chefs are using cuts like this in todays recipes, the demand & price have increased. We offer these at a reasonable price because we make them as a wholesale meat cut.
What part of a cow is a beef cheek?
Beef cheek comes from the cow’s facial muscles and is loaded with collagen, which breaks down when slow-cooked, resulting in exceptionally moist meat. Beef cheek is a top choice for braising due to its melt-in-your-mouth texture and intense taste.
Do beef cheeks taste like beef?
Absolutely! Due to their constant use, beef cheeks develop an intense flavor that combines elements of both beef and veal. They offer a rich, savory taste that is often described as beefy and slightly sweet. 3. Where can I buy beef cheeks?
How much does a beef cheek weigh?
Just as the name suggests, it is a small pocket of facial muscle meat taken from the cheek of the animal. There are two cheeks per animal, one each side and each Beef Cheek weighs on average 12 oz to 14 oz (340 g to 400 g) each. This muscle cut is hard working and in the case of Beef Cattle that is at least 6 to 8 hours a day chewing grass.
Why are beef cheeks so good?
Because Beef Cheeks are riddled with connective tissues and therefore loaded with healthy Collagen and Gelatin, which acts like a sponge. Once cooked, the Beef cheeks absorb the braising liquid and its flavor notes to become extremely moist and gelatinous. Our favorite way to cook Beef Cheeks is braised / slow cooked in Red Wine.
What are beef cheeks?
Adam Stratton, head butcher at Tender Gourmet Butchery, breaks it down: “Beef cheeks are the facial cheek of the animal. Because it’s quite a used muscle, the cow uses it to chew cud, there’s quite a bit of sinew when they come into a butcher which we then trim off to give you a clean cheek muscle.” Braised beef cheeks in sarsaparilla.
What cut are beef cheeks?
As its name suggests, beef cheeks are taken from the facial muscle of the cow. As it is a hard working muscle, beef cheeks are an often tougher cut of meat, which is why they lend themselves to slow cooking.
Are beef cheeks hard to cook?
As it is a hard working muscle, beef cheeks are an often tougher cut of meat, which is why they lend themselves to slow cooking. Beef cheeks contain a fair amount of connective tissue known as collagen. Over time this collagen breaks down and becomes slightly gelatinous, producing a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.