Beef cheeks with porcini in a casserole

We are very happy to welcome Leticia, author of Revelando Sabores to our blog. I discovered Leti at the last recipe contest we organized, and I'm glad her recipes are now part of our blog too. She debuts with a recipe I'm convinced you'll love: delicious beef cheeks cooked in a casserole, No fuss but full of flavor!

How cruel the passage of time is!! And I don't mean getting older... Not at all! I mean fashions: one day you're fabulous with your teased perm, your neon shoulder-pad sweater and your leg warmers (the height of fashion, really) and a few years later the ones screaming and rolling with laughter are your children when they see your photos from that era in the family album...

Of course, if you want revenge, it's easy. Just record your daughter calling that fashion ridiculous, and remind her of her words later, when she's the one wearing the same looks.

Trends always come back! The same happens with food. Some recipes suddenly become fashionable, and we see them everywhere. Other recipes are wardrobe staples, those timeless ones that always work and suit any occasion, like the recipe I bring you today, beef cheek with boletus.

Le Creuset cast iron cocotte, Serrano wild mushrooms and Pallarès carbon steel knife

If you've never tried beef cheeks, I can only tell you to do so as soon as possible. I'm sure you won't regret it, as it's a tender, flavorful and very juicy meat that melts in your mouth. You can find them from both pork and beef and they are the cuts obtained from the animals' "cheeks".

To tell the truth, I can't think of a better way to prepare them than in one of the wonderful Le Creuset casserole, slowly simmered, to achieve the authentic flavor of traditional stews. If the cheeks alone seem spectacular to me, imagine them accompanied by delicious boletus, which allow us to enjoy all the flavors of autumn in the middle of spring.

Let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients

1 Kg beef cheeks
1 onion
2 peppers
1 leek
250ml red wine
200ml water
1 jar of boletus in olive oil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
15gr butter

Preparation

If the butcher hasn't done it, we start by cleaning the cheeks, removing the membranes that cover them, using a sharp knife.

When the cheeks are clean, cover the bottom of the casserole with olive oil, 3 or 4 tablespoons are enough, and heat it over medium heat.

Meanwhile, we season the beef cheeks with salt and pepper and flour them, shaking off the excess flour, and, once the oil is very hot, we put the cheeks into the casserole and brown them for a few minutes on both sides, until a crust forms that seals them and prevents them from losing juices during cooking.

Once they are nicely browned, we remove them from the casserole and, in the same oil, add the onion, leeks, and peppers, finely chopped.

We sauté for a few minutes and then add the wine, and with a spatula or wooden spoon, we gently scrape the bottom of the casserole to recover the juices and bits that have stuck to it and thus make the most of all its flavor (deglaze).

We raise the heat so the alcohol from the wine can evaporate.

We return the cheeks to the casserole, add the water and, once it begins to bubble, lower the heat to minimum, put the lid on the casserole, and cook for approximately 2 and a half to 3 hours, turning the cheeks from time to time, about every 30 minutes or so, so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.

The cooking time is approximate, as it may need a little more. We'll check whether the meat is tender, and if not we'll leave it a bit longer.

Once the cheeks are ready, we take them out to a plate and pass the sauce through a chinois, using the sieve, so we get a very smooth sauce and discard the solids left in the strainer.

We return the sauce to the casserole and let it cook for a few minutes over low heat so the sauce reduces and gets thicker.

Adjust the seasoning and add 1 tablespoon of butter so the sauce becomes shinier.

We return the cheeks to the casserole, add the porcini, and, over low heat, let everything come to a boil together so the flavors are well absorbed.

Enjoy!!