Season and sear the beef cheeks

• Pat the beef cheeks dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the cheeks on all sides until deeply browned.
• Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Sauté the vegetables

• Lower the heat and add the onion, carrots and celery to the same pot.
• Cook until softened and lightly golden, then add the garlic and tomato paste.
• Stir and cook until the tomato paste darkens slightly.

Deglaze with red wine

• Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Let the wine reduce by about half.

Braise the beef cheeks

• Return the beef cheeks to the pot with the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves.
• Cover and braise in the oven at 160 °C until the meat is fork tender.
• Turn the cheeks halfway through cooking.

Finish the sauce

• Lift out the beef cheeks and keep them warm.
• Strain the braising liquid through a sieve into a saucepan and reduce until slightly thickened.
• Whisk in the cold butter until glossy, then spoon the sauce over the cheeks.