Beef Cheeks Braised in Red Wine

Pat beef cheeks completely dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Place in a large bowl with the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, and orange zest. Pour over the red wine, ensuring the meat is submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours, turning the cheeks once halfway through.

Remove the cheeks from the marinade and pat completely dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade through a fine sieve, reserving both the liquid and the vegetables separately. Discard the herbs, peppercorns, and orange zest.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or cast-iron casserole over high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef cheeks in a single layer, without moving, for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply mahogany-brown on all surfaces. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Remove cheeks and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add lardons to the same pot and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the edges are lightly golden.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the reserved marinade vegetables. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and take on some colour.

Push vegetables to the side, add the tomato paste to the centre of the pot, and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a brick-red.

Dust the vegetables and lardons with flour, stir well to coat, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell disappears.

Pour in the reserved marinade liquid and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil for 8–10 minutes until the wine reduces by roughly one third.

Add the beef stock, return the seared cheeks to the pot, and bring back to a gentle simmer. The liquid should come two-thirds of the way up the meat.

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook in a preheated oven at 150°C, or 130°C for a fan oven, or gas mark 2 for 3 hours, turning the cheeks once halfway through, until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 90–95°C and the meat yields completely when pressed with a spoon.

Carefully transfer the cooked cheeks to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a wide saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract maximum flavour. Discard the solids.

Bring the strained liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce for 15–20 minutes, skimming any fat that rises, until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat, whisk in the cold butter, and season with salt and pepper. Return the beef cheeks to the sauce to glaze for 2 minutes over low heat before serving.