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Red Wine Braised Ox Cheek
Ox cheeks braised in red wine until spoon-tender, in a sauce so glossy it looks varnished. The butcher's best-kept secret.
Shop the ingredients
The exact cuts from our counter, delivered fresh across Essex.
Cheeks do more work than almost any muscle on the animal, which means deep flavour and a lot of collagen. Braised slowly, they collapse into something richer than any steak — at a fraction of the price. This is the cut chefs hope you don't discover.
Method
Heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Toss the ox cheeks in the seasoned flour.
Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and brown the cheeks deeply on all sides, in batches. Set aside.
Soften the onions, carrots and celery in the same pot for 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot, and boil for 3 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol.
Add the stock, bay and thyme, and return the cheeks. The liquid should just cover them.
Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 3 to 3 hours 30 minutes, until the cheeks yield completely to a spoon.
Lift out the cheeks and keep warm. Strain the sauce and reduce over high heat until glossy and coating.
Serve the cheeks whole over creamy mash or celeriac purée, spooning the sauce generously over the top.
Pro tips from the block
- Trim is done for you: our ox cheeks come ready-trimmed of the tough outer membrane. No prep needed.
- Reduce the sauce boldly: it should shine and coat a spoon. Thin sauce is the only way this dish can disappoint.
- Better tomorrow: braise the day before and reheat gently — the flavour deepens overnight.
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