Go Back
Two braised beef cheeks on soft polenta under glossy red wine sauce with a rosemary sprig in a white bowl

Guancia di Manzo Brasata: Braised Beef Cheeks in Red Wine

Seared beef cheeks braised in red wine and soffritto for 3 hours at 150 C / 300 F, then glazed in a reduced sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Secondo
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 152
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef cheeks
  • 1.2 kg beef cheeks (4 cheeks, about 300 g each); silverskin trimmed, patted dry
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste at the end
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil / 45 ml; divided
Soffritto and braising liquid
  • 1 yellow onion large (200 g); finely diced
  • 2 carrots medium (150 g); finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery (100 g); finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic lightly crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (30 g)
  • 500 ml dry red wine (2 cups); Chianti, Sangiovese or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
  • 400 ml low-sodium beef stock (1 2/3 cups)
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Method
 

Sear the cheeks
  1. Heat the oven to 150 C / 300 F with a rack in the lower third. Trim the silverskin and any hard white fat from the cheeks with a small knife, leaving the marbled fat. Pat the cheeks completely dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear two cheeks for 3 to 4 minutes per side, without moving them, until deep brown. Move them to a plate, add another 1 tbsp of oil, and sear the other two the same way.
Build the braise
  1. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens to brick red.
  2. Pour in the wine and boil for 6 to 7 minutes, until reduced by about a third and the sharp alcohol smell has mellowed. Add the stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
  3. Nestle the cheeks back into the pot with any plate juices. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and move to the oven. Braise for 3 hours, turning the cheeks once at the 90-minute mark, until a fork slides in with no resistance. Cheeks pulled early feel springy and rubbery, so if you feel any resistance, return them for 20 to 30 minutes.
Finish the sauce
  1. Lift the cheeks onto a plate, cover with foil, and rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart / 2.8 L saucepan, pressing on the vegetables, and skim the fat from the surface. Boil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt to taste.
  2. Return the cheeks to the sauce, or spoon the sauce over them, and turn once to glaze. Serve straight away over soft polenta.

Notes

  • Trim all silverskin, but leave the marbled fat for flavor and body.
  • Use a wine you'd drink, since the sauce concentrates whatever you pour in.
  • Sear in two batches so the Dutch oven stays hot and the cheeks brown instead of steam.
  • Salt the sauce last, after reducing, because the flavor concentrates as it boils.
  • Test doneness with a fork at 3 hours rather than relying on the clock alone.