Braised Beef Cheeks

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef cheeks, 4-6 cheeks trimmed of fat (8-12 oz each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup red wine, full-bodied Cabernet, Merlot or similar (see note)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 celery rib, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1 ½ cups), or canned
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Place the beef cheeks on a work surface and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Optional (for extra flavor): Place a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and beef cheeks. Fry for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and repeat for the other side.
3. Transfer the beef cheeks to the crock pot. Pour the wine and stock into the pan and dislodge off any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Then pour into the crock pot.
4. Add all the other ingredients to the crock pot: onions, garlic, carrot, celery, tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Seal the lid shut and set the crock pot to cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 5 hours.
6. Discard the thyme sprigs. Optional: pour the cooking liquid into a fat separator to remove accumulated fat.
7. Remove the beef cheeks to a plate and drizzle juices on top to serve.