Ultimate Beef cheek slider
Beef cheek sliders are a delicious and indulgent treat, perfect for serving at parties or as a special appetizer. The tender and flavourful beef cheeks are slow-cooked until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender, then served on mini buns with a variety of toppings. Here’s a recipe for beef cheek sliders:
Serves: 6 – 12
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 2.5 hours
Ingredients
Beef Cheeks:
- 500g beef cheeks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Smoky tomato sauce:
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup American-style mustard
Sliders:
- 12 small burger buns, split, toasted
- 12 slices cheddar
- 3 dill pickles, sliced
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Beef Cheeks
Preheat oven to 160°C
Season the beef cheeks generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the beef cheeks on all sides until nicely seared. Remove them from the pot and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the sauce
In the same pot as the beef was browned in, add the anchovies, chopped onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic.
Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Add the wine and bring to a simmer.
Step 3: Add the Beef Cheeks and Braising Liquid
Return the seared beef cheeks to the pot, placing them on top of the sautéed vegetables.
Pour in the beef broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Add the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Bring the liquid to a simmer.
Step 4: Slow Cook the Beef Cheeks
Transfer the the pot to the oven and cook for about 2 hours, or until they are fork-tender and easily shred apart.
Check the liquid level occasionally and add more broth or water if needed to keep the beef cheeks partially submerged.
If oven space is not available, you can also simmer gently on the stovetop.
Step 5: Shred the Beef Cheeks
Once the beef cheeks are tender, remove them from the pot and place them on a cutting board.
Use two forks to shred the beef cheeks into bite-sized pieces.
Discard any excess fat or connective tissue.
Step 6: Assemble the Sliders
Slice the mini burger buns in half horizontally and toast.
Place a generous amount of shredded beef cheeks onto the bottom half of each bun.
Top with sliced cheese, pickles, and smoky barbecue sauce.
Enjoy!