»LL« LEINGARTENER LEMBERGER dry – Ortswein

Ingredients

• 800 gBeef cheeks (trimmed)
• 2 piecesOnions, coarsely chopped
• 150 gCarrots, diced
• 150 gCeleriac, diced
• 2 tbspTomato paste
• 500 mlDry, full-bodied red wine
• 600 mlBeef stock
• 150 gFresh blackberries
• 2 tbspClarified butter
• 2 piecesBay leaves
• 4 piecesThyme sprigs
• 5 piecesJuniper berries, crushed
• 1 tspWhite pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tspSalt
• 40 gCold butter, cubed

Preparation

1. 1Pat the beef cheeks thoroughly dry, remove any tough sinew, and season generously on all sides with salt and freshly ground white pepper.
2. 2Heat the clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan over high heat. Sear the cheeks on all sides for about 5 minutes until a dark crust forms, then remove them from the pan and set aside.
3. 3Sauté the diced root vegetables (onions, carrots, celery) in the rendered fat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they take on significant color. Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly, being careful not to let it burn.
4. 4Deglaze the base with one-third of the red wine and let it reduce almost completely until it becomes syrupy. Repeat this process twice to achieve intense color depth and flavor concentration.
5. 5Place the meat back into the roasting pan, adding the remaining red wine and beef stock until the meat is almost covered. Add the bay leaves, juniper berries, and thyme.
6. 6Cover the pan and let the cheeks braise gently over low heat for about 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and falls apart with light pressure.
7. 7Carefully lift the meat out of the sauce and keep warm. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan and reduce over high heat to about 300 ml.
8. 8Crush half of the blackberries slightly with a fork, add them to the sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. Then, strain the sauce through a cheesecloth.
9. 9Add the remaining whole blackberries to the sauce. Whisk in the cold butter cubes off the heat to bind the sauce and give it a glossy finish. Serve the cheeks coated in the sauce.