History

Slow-braised beef cheek became the marquee pintxo of San Sebastián's Parte Vieja in the 2000s, when La Cuchara de San Telmo opened on Calle del 31 de Agosto in 1999 and the pintxos-de-autor wave moved the genre from the counter-cold tradition to hot small-plate cooking. La Cuchara's carrillera al vino tinto is now widely cited (Lonely Planet, Eater, San Sebastián tourism) as the canonical version. Borda Berri across the alley runs an even more concentrated reduction; Galerna Jan Edan in Gros plates a refined Iberico-pork-and-beef-cheek hybrid. Order at the bar; the cheek is dished from a steaming pan beside the till.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg beef cheeks, trimmed of sinew and fat
  • 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 leek (white part only), finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine (Rioja, Ribera del Duero, or any dry tannic red)
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley stalks, bay leaf)
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • Fine sea salt
  • To serve: 6 slices crusty Basque bread (or rustic sourdough), parsley, flaky sea salt

Method

  1. Pat the beef cheeks completely dry. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 30ml olive oil in a heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Brown the cheeks deeply on every side, 6 to 8 minutes total. Lift out and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium; add the remaining oil. Add onions, carrots and leek; cook 8 minutes until softened and golden. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.
  4. Pour in the red wine; bring to a hard simmer; reduce by half (10 to 12 minutes). Scrape up any sticky fond from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Add the beef stock, bouquet garni and pepper. Return the cheeks to the pot, submerging in the liquid.
  6. Cover; transfer to a 150°C / 300°F oven. Braise 3 hours, until the cheeks give way under a spoon.
  7. Lift the cheeks out. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan; discard the spent vegetables and bouquet garni.
  8. Bring the strained liquid to a hard simmer over medium-high heat; reduce by half (15 to 20 minutes) until thick enough to coat a spoon.
  9. Return the cheeks to the reduced sauce; warm through for 5 minutes; the meat will glaze.
  10. Toast the bread slices lightly. Top each with a piece of cheek; spoon a generous amount of glaze over. Finish with chopped parsley and flaky salt.

Tip from the editors. The wine reduction is everything; if thin, reduce harder. Make a day ahead and rewarm in the sauce; flavour deepens and the glaze sets glossier.

Where to eat carrillera de ternera

Carrillera de ternera in San Sebastián

La Cuchara de San Telmo ★ 4.8

Modern Basque Pintxos€€parte-vieja

La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, open since 1999 by El Bulli and Lasarte-trained chefs, cooks made-to-order modern pintxos.

Signature: Carrillera de ternera al vino tinto, Foie a la plancha, Pulpo a la brasa

Order: The carrillera de ternera in red wine; foie a la plancha with apple compote; pulpo a la brasa.

Tip: Queue before 13:00 or after 21:00; the bar is four-deep at peak. No reservations.

Calle 31 de Agosto 28, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

Borda Berri ★ 4.6

Cocktail barPintxo and Txakoli bar€€€

Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos off a tight blackboard menu, with a Txakoli pour and a single house red.

Signature drink: Txakoli with the risotto de Idiazabal

Food: Hot made-to-order pintxos

Tip: No counter display; read the blackboard. Closed Sundays Standing room when busy.

Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

Galerna Jan Edan ★ 4.6

Wine bar€€€Tue-Sat 13:30-15:30, 20:30-22:30

Galerna Jan Edan in San Sebastian's Gros pairs the chef-partners' tasting menu with a deep Basque growers' wine list, natural and small-producer leaning.

Signature pour: Itsasmendi 7 Txakoli with the tasting opener

Wine focus: Basque growers, natural and small-producer wines

Food: Modern Basque tasting menu

Tip: Book ahead; ask for the wine pairing with the lunch menu for best value.

Paseo Colon 46, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian Book →

Sirimiri Gastroleku ★ 4.2

Basque€€

Sirimiri Gastroleku on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian pulls Bretxa-market shoppers more than tourists, with a seasonal ceviche the surest order at lunch.

Why locals love it: Calle Mayor counter close to Bretxa that pulls Bretxa-market shoppers more than tourists.

Tip: Lunch hour 13:00-15:30 is the market crowd; the seasonal ceviche is the surest order.

Calle Mayor 4, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

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