Slow Cooked Veal Cheeks

Looking to impress your dinner guests this Christmas with a meal that’s rich, comforting, and effortlessly elegant? This slow cooked veal cheeks recipe is the perfect centerpiece this Christmas. Braised to tender perfection in a red wine and port sauce, this dish pairs beautifully with any kind of vegetables and it can be served with potatoes (boiled or mashed), pasta, and even on a luxurious sandwich.

We have chosen to serve it with a creamy celeriac and potato mash and a refreshing Brussels sprout slaw. Best of all, it’s a make-ahead centerpiece, allowing you to focus on entertaining while the flavors deepen. If you have a big pot, I would recommend you to make as much as possible, because people will be coming back for more (or you can save it for later). Good to know: you can use beef cheeks instead of veal cheeks without adjusting the recipe. Now let's get cooking!

‍

Step 1
Trim any excess fat or silver skin from the veal cheeks. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil. Sear the veal cheeks on all sides until golden brown, then remove from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and sliced garlic. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.

‍

Step 2
Stir in the flour and tomato purée, cooking for 2 minutes to remove raw flavor. Add the bay leaves, and thyme sprigs, and crumble in the beef stock cube. Pour in the red wine and ruby port. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Step 3
Return the seared veal cheeks to the pot, when your wine-vegetable mixture has to a slow simmer. Ensure they are mostly submerged in the liquid. Add some water if needed. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 4–5 hours (or cook on a low setting in a slow cooker for 6–8 hours) until the cheeks are tender and easily pulled apart with a fork.

Step 4
Peel and dice the celeriac and potatoes. Boil them together in salted water until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and mash with butter, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Step 5
Now we are going to make the slaw. Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts using a mandoline. Combine them in a bowl with the defrosted peas, dried cranberries, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasoning. It is best to mix your wet ingredients before you add the peas, sliced sprouts and cranberries. Toss to combine and set aside.

‍Step 6
When the cheeks are cooked we are going to remove them from the pot and strain the cooking liquid. Reduce the sauce until it gets a thick velvety structure. Serve the tender veal cheeks with a generous scoop of celeriac and potato mash. Add a portion of the Brussel sprout slaw for freshness and crunch. Serve with the gravy and some chopped chives for color contrast.