Beef cheek

Beef Β· Chuck
ChuckRibShort LoinRoundBrisketPlateFlankShankShankSirloinTenderloinTop SirloinBot. Sirloin

The beef cheek is the masseter muscle of the cow's jaw, an intensely worked muscle with abundant collagen. It is very tough raw but transforms after several hours of braising into extraordinarily silky, gelatinous, deeply flavored meat. It is a staple of French bistro cooking and is gaining popularity in upscale restaurants worldwide.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈUnited StatesBeef cheek
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§United KingdomBeef cheekprimary
πŸ‡²πŸ‡½MexicoCarrillada de res
πŸ‡¦πŸ‡·ArgentinaCarrillera
πŸ‡«πŸ‡·FranceJoue de bΕ“ufA classic French bistro cut, typically braised in red wine
πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΈSpainCarrillada de terneraCarrilladas de ternera en salsa is a beloved Spanish tapa
πŸ‡΅πŸ‡ΉPortugalBochecha de vaca
πŸ‡§πŸ‡·BrazilBochecha de boi

Similar cuts

Paleronapproximate

Both are collagen-rich cuts requiring long braising, but beef cheek is a single muscle that becomes exceptionally silky while chuck is larger and coarser-grained.