Why you should always cook extra beef cheeks – and the genius ways to use them

This easy winter braise does double duty. Cook once to enjoy with creamy mash, then spin tender leftovers into a rich ragu or crisp, cheesy quesadillas.

Fall-apart tender and full of rich, savoury flavour, braised beef cheeks come into their own in chilly weather. The beauty of this cut is that most of the work happens in the oven, where they bathe in red wine, stock and aromatics, taking on a gorgeous depth.

Slow-cooked recipes are excellent do-aheaders. Cook on a Sunday to enjoy later in the week, and you’ll feel pleasantly smug. These cheeks are also a great candidate for freezing.

One cheek per person is ideal, given how rich they are. However, I’ve added a couple of extras to the pan so the recipe yields six generous portions, meaning you’ll have plenty of tender meat tucked away for later in the week.

Consider those extra cheeks your golden ticket to some low-effort, high-reward spin-off meals. They transform effortlessly into a deeply comforting beef cheek ragu with stracciatella and crunchy garlic breadcrumbs, and crisp, cheesy beef cheek quesadillas. Both recipes are below. Because why cook three times when you can cook beautifully just once?

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.

Creamy garlic mash is a no-brainer accompaniment for beef cheeks – the perfect base for the rich braising liquid. A lemony parsley sauce adds freshness and cuts through the richness. Blanched green beans, broccolini or asparagus, or a handful or two of spinach wilted in the braising liquid, bring the balance.

Leftover pro-tip: You can refrigerate leftover beef cheeks and sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week. The leftovers recipes here use shredded meat. I find it easier to shred the beef cheeks while they are still warm before chilling.

Having a couple of leftover braised beef cheeks sets you up for the most delicious ragu – serve on top of soft polenta or mash, or toss through pasta, as we have here. Crunchy breadcrumbs add texture, and a dollop of stracciatella is heavenly.

Beef cheeks are incredibly versatile, and using your pre-cooked leftovers makes these a breeze. Here, the shredded braised meat is amped up with adobo chillies and earthy spices. Sandwiched between tortillas with oozy, melty cheese, it makes these can’t-stop good.

Quick-pickled red onion is an excellent addition. Simply cut your onion into thin slices, squeeze over lime juice to cover, season with salt and set aside until the onion turns pink. So good!