Mamma Mari's Braised Beef Cheeks

Ingredients

• 1800 g Beef cheeks (2 cheeks, cleaned by the butcher)
• 1 Carrot (diced)
• 1 Celery stalk (diced)
• 0.5 Onion (diced)
• 0.75 cup Marsala wine (or good red wine as a substitute)
• 15 Dried plums (prunes)
• 200 g Cooked chestnuts (steamed or rehydrated and boiled; crumbled)
• 0.25 tsp Salt (plus extra for browning the meat)
• Boiling water (enough to cover the meat)
• Olive oil (for browning)

Steps

1. 1

   Brown the beef cheeks in a large pot or pressure cooker on all sides until well-seared. Season with salt during this process.

2. 2

   In a large saucepan (or the same pressure cooker if browning was done there), sauté the diced celery, carrot, and onion until softened.

3. 3

   Add the browned meat back into the pot. Once the meat is hot, deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate slightly.

4. 4

   Add the dried plums and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the ingredients completely with boiling water.

5. 5

   Close the pressure cooker lid. Once it reaches pressure (indicated by the whistle), cook for 1 hour.

6. 6

   Release the pressure, open the lid, and add the crumbled chestnuts. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Close the pressure cooker again and cook for another 30 minutes from the time of the whistle.

8. 8

   Once finished, remove the beef cheeks from the pot and set aside.

9. 9

   Blend the remaining cooking liquid and aromatics to create a sauce, adjusting the texture to your preference (fine or rustic).

10. 10

    Return the beef cheeks to the sauce and serve very hot.

Notes

Cooking times may vary slightly based on the size of the meat cuts; the meat is ready when it is extremely soft and can be cut without a knife. This dish can be frozen without issues. If Marsala is unavailable, a high-quality red wine can be used as a substitute.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• beef
• braised
• pressure cooker
• gluten-free
• winter
• comfort food