What is a beef cheek?
The star dish of French cuisine, the perfect ingredient for a sandwich, the dreaded ingredient of butchers, and all this despite being a leftover product? You can now read about the exciting life and perfect preparation of the beef cheek here.
Nowadays, it is a matter of luck to find a Beef cheek It has to be ordered from the butcher, and even there sometimes only under the counter. Even in the shops you can only get it on certain days, you have to be there in time to get one of the few pieces. In any case, when we are in the mood to cook it, it is rather rare to get the piece, unless we have a very good established supplier.
Beef offal?
In the famous French cuisine around the 20th century, the domestic servants were only given the leftovers, the muscular part of the beef. So they threw in a few onions and vegetables from the kitchen and poured wine over it. They cooked it long and slowly, so the meat became juicier and softer, and ate bread dipped in the sauce. This method has since been called the Burgundy method, and has turned leftovers into a world-famous, princely dish.
The secret of Boeuf Bourguignon, the perfect Burgundy beef
It used to be less popular to cook with beef cheeks, but nowadays it is the number one ingredient in the kitchen and at the table for many. Beef uses this part of its body the most during its life, so it contains a lot of muscle mass, fibre and even more collagen. So when we cook our dish we get a sticky, cup-shaped, juicy meat that melts in our mouths almost creamily as it cooks slowly.
Every recipe starts like this: 2 things are very important for Boeuf Bourguignon, the perfect meat and the right, high quality wine. The French used to insist on Charolais beef, which is nowadays measured in gold, but fortunately we can also find other high-quality beef Varieties. It's one of the few dishes that can be made with very little effort and if you follow the procedures, anyone can make it.
The guests' favourites
Two perfect but different recipes that nevertheless have something in common: one is slow braised and the other is smoked (BBQBraising involves wrapping the cheek in bacon, browning it, then braising it long and slow with vegetable garnishes.
When smoking (BBQ), the meat gets an even crust (rub). The meat is shaped, rolled up and smoked at 120°C. When a nice crust is formed, it is put on the grill, where the only limits are the imagination, whether we sprinkle it with apple juice or whiskey.
When the meat has reached a core temperature of 92 degrees, we take it out and let it rest. Serve it in a focaccia bread, hamburger bun, sourdough bread or simply on a fresh salad plate.
The 4 most important things when making a beef cheek
Good quality is definitely worth it, at the latest on the plate it turns out!
It is important to the right kitchen utensils to use, as the beef cheek needs long and low cooking times.
It's much tastier when you with Vegetables cooks, as it has an intense texture and flavour.
Last but not least, use a high quality alcohol, which you can use to season the meat as you cook it.
Want to read more? Find out more about our perfect steak recipe by click here!
