Red Wine & Garlic Braised Beef Cheeks

May 7, 2026

As the April nights cool down, there is no cut more rewarding than the beef cheek. When slow – cooked, the connective tissue transforms into a silky, rich sauce that defines melt-in-your-mouth luxury.

Butcher’s Tip: Beef cheeks are a hard-working muscle, which is why they are often overlooked. We do the heavy lifting for you at Woods by pre-trimming the silver skin. When you pick these up, look for the deep marbling; that’s what creates the gelatinous texture that makes this dish famous in high-end -bistros.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 4 hours (Oven) or 8 hours (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

500g Woods Butchery Beef Cheeks (trimmed)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp tomato paste
500ml dry Australian Shiraz
500ml quality beef bone broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method

Sear: Season the beef cheeks generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy-based pot (Dutch oven) over high heat. Sear the cheeks until dark brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Sauté: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze: Pour in the Shiraz, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the golden bits off the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half.
Braise: Return the beef to the pot. Add the bone broth, thyme, and bay leaves. The liquid should almost cover the meat.
Cook: Cover with a tight lid. Place in a preheated oven at 150°C for 3.5 to 4 hours, or transfer to a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. The meat is ready when it pulls apart with a fork.
Serve: Remove the meat carefully. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and simmer until it thickens into a glossy sauce. Serve the cheeks over a bed of buttery mash with the sauce poured over.