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Overview
Beef cheeks contain firm connective tissue that needs a long cook before the meat yields easily to a fork. Trim the outside well and cook the cheeks as separate pieces rather than tying them together.
This hotter bath follows Cuisine Solutions' braised-cheek method. Serve the tender meat with a freshly made reduction so you can season the sauce without relying on salty bag juices.
Time and temperature
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| Texture | Bath setting | Check before serving | Cook time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braise-Tender | 181.4°F | 145°F | 12 hours |
Trimmed individual beef cheeks in a single layer; the original recipe uses 3 pounds in total. Start timing when the bag enters the fully heated circulating bath. The bath begins the cook. Follow the thermometer check in Cook safely, using additional heat when needed before the final finish.
Choose your texture
- 181.4°FBraise-Tender
- The long, hotter bath aims for soft cheek meat that can be cut with a fork.
Best for
- Trimmed individual beef cheeks in a single layer; the original recipe uses 3 pounds in total.
Get it ready
- Trim thick surface membrane and loose fat from each cheek while leaving it as an individual piece.
- For a braised flavor, cook a red-wine and vegetable reduction separately and cool it completely in the refrigerator before it touches the cold meat.
- Bag the cold cheeks with a little chilled reduction, keeping them in one layer. Use several bags for a larger batch.
- Place the sealed bags in the fully heated circulating bath. Cover the vessel, start the listed time, and monitor water level throughout.
Finish and serve
- Lift the cheeks onto a clean plate with clean utensils and discard the bag liquid.
- Measure the thickest center of every cheek at 145°F or hotter. Continue cooking and recheck any low reading.
- Pat dry and brown gently in a skillet, or coat with a freshly prepared hot sauce.
- Rest for at least 3 minutes after the last heat, then cut or pull the meat as needed and serve immediately.
Useful tips
- Trim before bagging; tough outer membrane is easier to remove from a firm raw cheek.
- Handle cooked cheeks with a broad spoon so they do not break apart.
- Reduce a clean sauce separately and add salt only after tasting the finished reduction.
Common problems
- The cheek resists a fork
- Cheek size and connective tissue vary. After the thermometer check, continue in a covered pan with hot liquid until tender; do not use the fork test as the safety check.
- The sauce tastes too salty
- A concentrated liquid was seasoned heavily before reducing. Use low-salt stock and season after reduction.
Questions
QAre cheeks the same as chuck roast?
QCan I slice them neatly?
QCan I chill them in the bag for tomorrow?
Cook safely
Use fully thawed, refrigerator-cold whole pieces of meat; this guide does not cover ground, injected, mechanically tenderized, stuffed, or rolled meat.
Probe the thickest center of every cheek, avoiding fat and gristle, and check several places in any large or irregular piece. Each measured spot must reach 145°F before the final browning or sauce.
If a spot is cooler, continue cooking in a skillet or oven and check again. A bath below that temperature needs a hotter cooking step; the timer alone cannot make it ready to eat.
Rest for at least 3 minutes after the last heat before slicing, pulling, or serving. Use clean utensils, discard bag liquid, and serve immediately. These instructions do not cover chilling, storage, reheating, or hot holding.