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overnight 17 hour slow cooked beef cheek with red wine and thyme

Overnight Braised Beef Cheeks (17-Hour Low & Slow)

Learn how to make melt-in-your-mouth overnight braised beef cheeks. Our 17-hour low and slow method at 90°C guarantees perfectly tender results every time.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 17 hours
Resting Time 6 hours
Total Time 23 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large beef cheeks well-trimmed
  • ½ bottle approx. 375ml dry red wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or Merlot)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 large bunch fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 whole head of garlic broken into individual cloves (leave the skins on)
  • Water enough to completely cover the meat
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil for searing
  • Generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper

Equipment

  • Heavy-based Dutch oven or oven-safe lidded pot
  • Tongs
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula

Method
 

Prep and Sear the Meat
  1. Pat the beef cheeks completely dry using paper towels.
  2. Season all sides generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  3. Heat the oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the beef cheeks and sear for 3–4 minutes per side until a deep, dark golden crust forms.
  5. Remove the cheeks from the pot and set aside on a plate.
Build the Braising Base
  1. Turn the stove heat down to medium. Add the tomato paste to the residual hot oil and beef fat. Cook it down for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly until it darkens to a brick-red colour.
  2. Pour in your half-bottle of red wine to deglaze the pot. Use your wooden spoon to aggressively scrape up all the caramelised, golden beef bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  3. Drop in the fresh thyme sprigs and the whole, skin-on garlic cloves. Stir to combine.
The Overnight Braise
  1. Preheat your oven to 90°C (195°F).
  2. Return the seared beef cheeks and any rested juices back into the pot.
  3. Pour in enough water to completely cover the beef cheeks.
  4. Put the lid on tightly. If your lid has gaps, place a sheet of baking paper or foil over the pot first, then press the lid down to tightly seal the steam inside.
  5. Place the pot in the oven. Leave it to braise undisturbed overnight.
The Critical Cool and Rest
  1. The next morning (17 hours later), carefully remove the pot from the oven. Do not open the lid yet.
  2. Leave the pot on the bench top to cool completely to room temperature inside the liquid.
  3. Once cooled, transfer the entire covered pot (or move the meat and liquid into a sealed container) into the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
Skim, Warm, and Serve
  1. Pull the cold pot from the fridge. Use a spoon to easily lift off and discard the solid layer of white fat that has formed on the surface.
  2. Pick out and discard the woody thyme stems. (The garlic skins can be strained out now, or squeezed directly into the sauce for extra flavour).
  3. Place the pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Cover and warm gently until the rich gelatine melts back into a glossy, velvety sauce and the beef cheeks are hot all the way through.
  4. Serve hot over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or polenta.