video password: winter [case sensitive]
prepare ahead?
Absolutely! Like all slow cooked dishes, this will improve with a little time sitting in the fridge.
leftover potential
Great! Will keep in the fridge for a week or more.
variations for fun
vegan / vegetarian – replace beef cheeks with 4 large field mushrooms.
olives – serve with a handful of green olives scattered over the top.
pork – replace beef cheeks with 1kg (2lb) pork neck or pork shoulder.
problem solving guide
can’t find beef cheeks? - no problem. Just substitute in chuck or stewing steak chopped into large chunks. Smaller pieces of meat will cook more quickly than large cheeks.
no smoked paprika?- skip the smoked paprika or use a little regular paprika instead. Two teaspoons of cayenne pepper would work instead.
tough meat -this means you haven’t cooked your meat for long enough. If you can, best to pop back in the slow cooker or oven for at least another half hour or longer.
bland – make sure you’re generous with the salt. A little more tomato paste may help as well.
problem solving guide
watery sauce – if your sauce hasn’t reduced down enough, either pop in the oven with the lid off for half an hour or so, or remove the beef and simmer, uncovered in the slow cooker on high for about an hour. An additional tablespoon of tomato paste may help things.
bitter flavours – either your smoked paprika is to blame or you’ve burnt some of the dish. A difficult one to fix but adding a little butter or olive oil may mellow out any bitterness.
dry - if you’re cooking in the oven it can be easy for the dish to dry out Best to keep an eye on it and add a little water if you think it’s looking too dry.
onion crunchy – in the slow cooker, onions can take longer to cook than the meat. I don’t worry if they’re a little bit crunchy but if it bothers you, remove the meat and simmer the sauce for 1/2 an hour or until the onions are tender. Return the meat to the pan and reheat before serving.
serving suggestions
I like to serve in bowls with the sauce, topped with a little fresh parsley and crusty bread & butter on the side to scoop up the juices.
For an even more spanish vibe, serve with bread that has been rubbed with the flesh of a ripe tomato and a little olive oil.
For a slow carb serving option, try serving on a bed of cauliflower or white bean mash.
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back to: Simple Slow Cooking Overview
spanish style beef cheeks recipe
serves 4
4 beef cheeks, approx 1kg total (2lb)
2 red onions, peeled & diced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 -2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1. Place beef, onions, tomato paste, wine and paprika in a slow cooker or oven proof dish.
2. For the slow cooker, cover and cook on auto for 10-11 hours or until beef is meltingly tender.
3. For the oven, add an extra cup of wine, cover and bake at 120C (250F) for 4-6 hours or until beef is meltingly tender. Add in a little water if the beef starts to dry out.
4. Taste, season and serve hot.
