Savory Mushroom Beef Cheeks with Mashed Potatoes and Kohlrabi

Recipe by Chanie Nayman

There’s nothing like the tenderness of beef cheeks cooking for several hours. Don’t expect to be able to slice this cut of meat, it falls apart with the touch of a fork, but it’s so delicious and flavorful. I added the mashed potatoes with kohlrabi here because this saucy meat really needs something alongside it. I recently got into kohlrabi as a roasted vegetable on nights that I make roasted potatoes for supper, and I love the subtle broccoli-ish flavor it offers. It’s the mildest of all white root vegetables.

Serves 6–8

• 2 1½-lb (680-g) beef cheeks, or other soft meat
• 1 16-oz (450-g) box cremini or button mushrooms (optional; if your family doesn’t use mushrooms, skip them or sub with a different vegetable of your choice)
• ½ cup semisweet wine
• 2 Tbsp brown or white sugar
• 1 Tbsp paprika (optional)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder (optional)

Mashed Potatoes and Kohlrabi

• 5–6 large Yukon Gold potatoes
• ½ of a 16-oz (450-g) bag frozen Beleaves Kohlrabi Sticks, or 2–3 peeled, halved kohlrabies
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp cooking liquid
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• fried onions, for serving

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

Place all ingredients in an oven-to-table dish or a 9x13-inch (23x33-cm) pan and seal well. Bake for 4–5 hours, or until fork-tender.

To make the mashed potatoes, make a small score around the center of each potato. (This little hack will allow you to slide the peels right off after they’re boiled.) Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil for 20–30 minutes, or until tender.

Add the frozen kohlrabi for the last 10 minutes of cooking. (If using fresh kohlrabi, add them to the pot along with the potatoes.)

Transfer to a glass bowl and remove the potato peels. Add the remaining ingredients and mash using a potato masher. Transfer to a serving dish and top with fried onions. Serve alongside the beef cheeks.