Guancia al Vino Rosso (Braised Beef Cheek in Red Wine)

Method

1. Clean the beef cheek: remove any connective tissue or silverskin, taking care to remove as little meat as possible.
2. Weigh the meat. For every kilogram of meat, add 8 g of pink salt. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the meat and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Prepare the vegetables: peel the carrot and celery if desired, and cut into small cubes. Slice the shallot.
4. Heat a cast iron pot (or heavy-bottomed pan) with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
5. Sear the beef cheek on all sides until well browned. Remove the meat and set aside.
6. In the same pot, add the vegetables, bay leaves, cloves, and juniper berries. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized.
7. Add a knob of butter and let it melt.
8. Return the beef cheek to the pot. Pour in enough red wine to come halfway up the cheek.
9. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2.5 to 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and flakes apart easily.
10. Optional: once cooked, remove the meat and keep warm. If desired, blend the cooking liquid and vegetables with an immersion blender until smooth to create a sauce. Adjust seasoning if needed.
11. Slice or serve the cheek whole with the sauce. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil before serving.