How Long Do You Cook Beef Cheeks

How to cook beef cheeks

Discover the wonder of long, slow cooking by including beef cheeks on your menu. This economical cut is gaining popularity for its rich flavour, and amazing texture that only improves when it's allowed to slowly cook away throughout the day.

What are beef cheeks?

Beef cheeks come from the muscles in the cow's face, and are a cut that fell out of favour for many years until the trend in nose to tail cooking put them firmly back on the menu. And luckily for us it looks like they're here to stay. This is an economical cut that comes from a hard-working part of the animal, meaning that it needs plenty of time on the heat to achieve its rich flavour and falling-apart texture.

How to cook beef cheeks

Beef cheeks need long, slow cooking to get to their tender best. They are ideal in the slow cooker, where they can easily take the place of brisket in some of your favourite recipes. To know if your slow cooked beef cheeks are done, try cutting into one with a fork: if they easily give, they're ready. The same rules apply cooking beef cheeks as other slow-cooking cuts: make sure you brown them well before adding them to the pot, and pair them up with other big flavours, like garlic and red wine, to cut through the richness and add depth to the dish.

If you have a pressure cooker you can cook beef cheeks in a fraction of the time. Simply follow your favourite recipe and cut down the cooking time by two thirds to determine how long to cook them for.

Where to buy beef cheeks

The best idea is to call into your local butcher to ask if they stock beef cheeks. If not, most will be able to order them in for you. Alternatively, you can find them in some of the larger supermarkets where they are a popular cut during the cooler months.

Beef cheeks go with

Pair up beef cheeks with these companion flavours:

Bay leaves
Beer
Chilli
Garlic
Juniper berries
Mustard seeds
Olives
Onions
Red wine
Rosemary
Saffron
Sherry
Smoked paprika
Thyme
Tomatoes

Beef cheek recipes

Check out the incredibly flavour and texture of beef cheeks for yourself with this impressive beef cheeks recipe:

Slow Cooker Beef Cheeks in Red Wine

Alternatively, try substituting brisket for beef cheeks in this recipe:

Red Wine and Rosemary Brisket

And you can't beat them cooked slowly and served over pasta:

Beef cheek ragu

For more ideas, take a look at our Beef Recipes Collection.