The secret to perfect beef cheeks? Slow braising, say the chefs at Lokál

Good beer and honest cooking

Lokál is a dream which came true – one of a Czech pub where regulars feel at home. In 2009 we opened Lokál Dlouháááá, and the others soon followed. Today we have nine locations – seven in Prague, one in Brno and another in Pilsen.
We serve beer that's fresh, right to the last sip, and real home cooking. Lokál is a place where good beer and honest food matter.

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Braised beef cheeks

For 4 servings you'll need: 

• 600 g beef cheeks (1 per serving)
• salt and pepper
• 150 g onion
• beef broth
• all-purpose flour for dusting

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Season the cleaned cheeks with salt and pepper. 
2. Coarsely chop the onion and mix it with the meat. Add a little broth, cover with a lid, and bake for about 3 hours.
3. Once the cheeks are done, remove them from the oven. Dust the flour into the juices in the pan and bake for another 15 minutes. 
4. Remove from the oven, add more broth as needed, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Serve with mashed or crushed potatoes. 

Beef cheeks in red wine

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 600 g beef cheeks (1 per serving)
• salt and pepper
• 140 g rendered lard 
• 240 g carrots, diced 
• 160 g celery, diced
• 160 g parsley, diced
• 340 g onions 
• 12 g garlic
• 1.2 g allspice 
• 1.2 g black peppercorns
• 80 g bay leaves 
• A sprig of fresh rosemary  
• A sprig of fresh thyme
• 40 g tomato paste 
• 300 ml red wine
• 40 g granulated sugar 
• 40 g butter
• beef broth

Instructions:

1. Clean the beef cheeks, then season with salt and pepper. Brown them on both sides in lard until golden. 
2. Remove the meat and sauté some of the chopped root vegetables (160 g carrots, 60 g celery, and 60 g parsley). Once they begin to brown, add some of the finely chopped onion (roughly 140 g) and the pressed garlic. At the end of sautéing, add the spices, herbs, and tomato paste. 
3. Pour the wine over the mixture and let it reduce by about one-third. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
4. Place the sautéed cheeks in a roasting pan, pour in a little broth, and cover with a lid. Place in the oven and braise until the cheeks are tender.
5. Strain the red wine sauce through a fine sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, and smooth out the flavour with butter. 
6. Sauté the remaining root vegetables in butter and place them in the oven. Bake until tender, for about 30 minutes. 
7. Slice the remaining onion into thin rings and fry in lard until golden brown. 
8. Serve with potato dumplings fried in lard. Place the potato dumplings and beef cheeks on the plate first. Pour the sauce over them and top with the fried onions and roasted root vegetables.