Beef Cheek in the Slow Cooker

My local butcher had beef cheeks on offer. That is not so common and I was lucky to get a piece.

It was a whole cheek, about 600 g. That is enough for 2 people or 2 meals. I used my slow cooker to prepare it. A long slow braising method is needed to get the beef cheek done. 

I made it 2016, but in a pot on the stove. There is a blog with the cooking method.

To have a great sauce, the right ingredients are essencial. The liquid part was Noilly Prat, Rioja and homemade beef stock.

The beef cheek had to be seared on high in a pan on each side. I just used salt to season it. I used clarified butter. It went in the slow cooker. 

In the same pan with a little more butter my veggies needed a turn. Seasoned with salt and pepper. After 8 min, hot paprika paste and tomato paste went in to be cooked as well. Next was some flour.

Noilly Prat and Rioja were next, then the beef stock. I poured that over the beef cheek. A tsp of herbes de Provence and more black pepper followed.

I put the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Then I only mashed the veggies and cooked some pasta.

Ingredients:

600 g beef cheek

1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 carrots, 1/2 leek, 2 green onions, 1/4 celeriac

Salt, pepper, herbes de Provence

3 tbsp clarified butter

2 tbsp hot paprika paste, 3 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp flour

75 ml Noilly Prat, 75 ml Rioja, 250 ml homemade beefstock

Pasta