Red Wine and Leek Beef Cheeks

Red Wine and Leek Beef Cheeks

Create Leek Beef Cheeks with red wine in the slow cooker that will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef Cheeks
• 2 tablespoons flour (we used gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large leek (white part only) sliced into 2cm rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 2 celery sticks (including the leaves)
• 1 cup red wine (we used a Sangiovese)
• 1 cup medium-dry sherry
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stalk rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Coat the beef cheeks in a little seasoned flour. Heat a fry pan and add the olive oil. Brown the beef cheeks on each side, working in batches if needed depending on the size of your pan. Remove and pop in a slow cooker.
2. To the same frypan, add the onion add sauté for a few minutes until softened and translucent, adding the garlic a minute before the onion is done.
3. Add the onion and garlic mix to the slow cooker along with all your other ingredients.
4. Cook until the beef cheeks are very tender, to the point of falling apart when pulled with a fork. This will depend on your slow cooker but for us was around 7 hrs on low.
5. Pull out the beef cheeks, the carrot pieces and some of the leeks and pop on to a plate.
6. Strain the rest of the cooking liquid through a sieve into a small saucepan to separate the rest of the vegetables from the liquid. Simmer the liquid to reduce it by half to make a lovely sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit.
7. Serve the beef cheeks with extra steamed vegetables and the sauce.

Notes

• If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour mixed in a little water and cook for a few minutes longer, stirring until it begins to thicken a little.
• You can also bulk it out with rice, sweet potato or cauliflower mash if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Sandi Cooper Naturopathy