Braised Beef Cheeks With Polenta Coffee Wild Mushrooms Recipes

BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Add onion and carrot; cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Pour beef stock and wine into the Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Stir in porcini mushrooms, bouillon cubes, thyme, and bay leaves. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the surface. Cover with a tight lid.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beef is very tender, 5 to 6 hours.
• Transfer beef to a plate. Discard bay leaves. Blend cooking liquid with an immersion blender to make a smooth sauce. Serve beef with sauce.

BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS WITH LOBSTER MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 250°F.
• Heat the beef stock in a medium pan over low heat and keep warm.
• Season the beef cheeks with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper, and sprinkle the flour evenly all over.
• Put a large Dutch oven or wide-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and enough of the beef chunks to make a roomy single layer in the pan. Cook, turning the beef as needed, until browned all over, about 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining beef, working in batches as necessary and adding another tablespoon or so of oil if the pot seems too dry.
• Add 2 tablespoons more olive oil to the pan, then add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, until they start to soften and are barely brown on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery root, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the celery root starts to soften, about 6 minutes.
• Return the beef and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Stir well for another minute or so to combine.
• Add the wine and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the warm stock; once the liquid has returned to a simmer, cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
• Bake for 4 hours, checking every hour to make sure the liquid is at a bare simmer. (The key to tenderness is to cook at the lowest temperature possible. If the broth is simmering rapidly, reduce the oven temperature.)
• After 4 hours, remove the lid and stir. The stew should be very wet; if not, add a cup or so of water to reliquify. Return the uncovered pot to the oven. Continue to bake until the beef is completely tender and offers no resistance when you pull it apart with two forks, 1 to 2 more hours. If the beef is tender but the liquid has not reduced much, continue to bake until the liquid is 3/4 to 1 inch lower than the original level. Taste the liquid and season with more salt as needed.
• When the beef is done, set aside while you cook the mushrooms.
• (If you make this a day ahead, let cool to room temperature before you cover and refrigerate the cheeks. When ready to serve, reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently until heated through, 30 to 45 minutes.)
• Using a small knife, scrape any dirt off of the mushrooms. If they are particularly large, cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces.
• Put 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet (it should be large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer) and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms' juices have released and evaporated. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the shallot and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute. Add the vinegar and stir until the liquid evaporates. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange the beef in shallow bowls and ladle some of the braising liquid over it. Top with the sautéed mushrooms.
• You may need to special order beef cheeks (a specialty butcher is your best bet), but you can substitute with brisket if you can't find cheeks. The glands are marble-size organs that are attached to the cheeks (they may already have been removed from the ones you have).

BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil is heating, pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef, without crowding, on all sides, about 20 minutes total, and transfer with tongs to a bowl. Pour off fat from pot, then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Stir cocoa powder into vegetable mixture, then add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Return cheeks (with any juices) to pot and add tomatoes with juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then braise, covered, in middle of oven until very tender, about 3 hours.