There's something incredibly comforting about a slow-cooked meal, and this Braised Beef / Ox Cheeks in Red Wine recipe is one of Chef Steph's all-time favourites. Slow-cooked until they're melt-in-the-mouth tender, our beef cheeks are gently braised in a rich red wine gravy with aromatic herbs and vegetables before being served alongside creamy mashed potatoes, honey-roasted carrots and braised red cabbage. It's the ultimate feel-good dish – perfect for a cosy weekend dinner, a Sunday family meal or whenever you're craving proper comfort food. Best of all, the slow cooker does most of the hard work, leaving you with a restaurant-quality meal that's full of flavour and guaranteed to impress. 

Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 7-8 hours (Low) or 5–6 hours (High)

Ingredients

For the beef

• 1kg beef / ox cheeks 

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 onions, diced

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 2 celery sticks, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 500ml good red wine (Merlot, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon work well)

• 500ml good quality beef stock

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional, balances acidity)

To finish the sauce

• 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (if required)

• Knob of butter

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 1.2kg Maris Piper potatoes

• 75g butter

• 100ml warm double cream (or whole milk)

• Salt & pepper

Honey Roasted Carrots

• 4 large carrots

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp honey

• Few thyme leaves

• Salt & pepper

Braised Red Cabbage

• ½ red cabbage, finely sliced

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

• 2 tbsp Soy sauce

• Salt & Pepper

Method

Step 1 – Brown the beef

Pat the beef cheeks dry.

Season well with salt and pepper before dusting lightly with flour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot and brown the cheeks well on every side.

This caramelisation makes a huge difference to the finished flavour.

Transfer to the slow cooker.

Step 2 – Build the base

Using the same pan:

• soften onions for 5 minutes

• add carrots and celery for another 5 minutes

• stir in garlic for 1 minute

• add tomato purée and cook for another minute

Pour in the red wine.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 5–10 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off the alcohol.

Add:

• beef stock

• Worcestershire sauce

• smoked paprika

• brown sugar (if using)

Stir well.

Pour everything into the slow cooker.

Add:

• bay leaves

• rosemary

• thyme

The liquid should almost cover the beef.

Step 3 – Slow cook

Cook:

Low: 8 hours (recommended)

or

High: 5–6 hours

The cheeks are ready when you can cut them with a spoon.

Step 4 – Finish the sauce

Remove the beef carefully - they'll be incredibly tender.

Discard the herbs.

Either:

• leave the vegetables rustic,

or

blend the sauce until silky smooth.

Pour into a saucepan.

If you'd like it thicker, whisk in the cornflour mixture and simmer for 2–3 minutes.

Finish with a small knob of butter for a glossy restaurant-style sauce.

Return the beef to the sauce.

Roast the carrots

Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

Mix carrots with:

• olive oil

• honey

• thyme

• seasoning

Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once, until caramelised.

Braised Red Cabbage

Place everything into a saucepan.

Cook gently with the lid on for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

It should become soft, glossy and beautifully tangy.

Creamy Mash

Boil potatoes until tender.

Drain well and allow them to steam dry for a minute.

Mash until smooth.

Beat in:

• butter

• warm cream /milk 

Season generously.

To Serve

Spoon a generous bed of creamy mash onto each plate.

Top with a beef cheek.

Pour over plenty of the rich red wine gravy (or rustic vegetable sauce like we did).

Serve alongside the honey roasted carrots and braised red cabbage.

Finish with plenty of black pepper to your taste.

Steph's Tips

• Use a wine you'd happily drink - its flavour really shines through in the sauce.

• For an even deeper flavour, you can add 200g chestnut mushrooms when frying the vegetables or 100g smoked pancetta at the start.

• A side of buttered savoy cabbage also works beautifully if you prefer something greener and a little lighter than red cabbage.

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