Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek Ragu with Garlic and Red Wine

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-22 · Updated 2026-05-22

Rich beef cheeks braised slowly in garlic, red wine, and herbs until meltingly tender, served over soft polenta for a comforting Australian-inspired meal. This Australian-inspired slow-cooker recipe, ready in about 210 minutes, pairs beef cheeks, olive oil, yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 480 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs, trimmed beef cheeks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 1 medium, diced carrot
• 1, diced celery stalk
• 4, minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp, chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup polenta
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup, grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 lbs trimmed beef cheeks and sear on all sides for 4-5 minutes until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Step 2: Reduce heat to medium, add 1 large diced yellow onion, 1 medium diced carrot, and 1 diced celery stalk. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Step 4: Pour in 1 cup dry red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Let the wine reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
5. Step 5: Return beef cheeks to the pot. Add 2 cups beef broth, 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook gently for 3 hours until beef cheeks are fork-tender.
6. Step 6: While beef cooks, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in 1 cup polenta, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until creamy.
7. Step 7: Stir 2 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese into the polenta until melted and smooth.
8. Step 8: Remove beef cheeks from the pot, shred with forks, and stir back into the sauce. Discard bay leaf.
9. Step 9: Serve the ragu hot over creamy Parmesan polenta.