Meat Market

Colin Fassnidge and Anthony Puharich are up to their usual cheek, with a recipe for a luscious lasagne layered in for good measure.

Getting cheesy with a beef cheek lasagne.

C: How do you rank your top three Italian dishes?

A: Bolognese is the Elton John of Italian dishes. I think lasagne is under bolognese. C: Risotto?

A: Pizza! Pizza is number three.

C: That could be number one!

A: Maybe pizza, bolognese then lasagne are the top three.

C: I have to agree with you there. Beef cheek lasagne. Love it. It’s called a lasagne but it’s layered Irish and Croatian. A: It’s a ragu with beef cheeks. They’re gelatinous, unctuous. It’s about time we took lasagne to the next level. And that’s where the beef cheek comes in.

C: The stock is not just tomato, it’s this beefy tomato stock, and it’s not mincy, it’s more like a pulled meat kind of lasagne.

A: More substance. Less carbs, more protein. It’s like the Sofia Loren of lasagne. C: Everyone makes lasagne but with their own tweaks. Some people put milk in the bolognese, people mostly use mince.

A: Not many people use beef cheek. This is how we are making it luxe.

C: Bechamel is the other key ingredient in a lasagne. You need creamy cheese. I use parmesan rinds – no waste – in the milk when you boil it. A bit of nutmeg, little bit of onion and bay leaves…

A: I don’t want to make a big deal about the cheese here, but I want to go a bit non-Italian… we have amazing Australian cheeses like Vannella pizzarella cheese.

C: Okay we could use some Pyengana cheddar, some Holy Goat if we want to Aussie-fy it. Maybe we should put a bit of ricotta, too, so it’s a bit creamy.

A: That’s better.

BEEF CHEEK LASAGNE SERVES 6

Begin this recipe at least 4 hours ahead.

6 beef cheeks (1.8kg)

1 cup (150g) plain flour, seasoned

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 rosemary sprigs

1/3 cup (95g) tomato paste

1 cup (250ml) red wine

2 x 400g cans whole peeled tomatoes 2 cups (500ml) beef stock

2 tbs red wine vinegar

6 fresh lasagne sheets

2 cups (480g) fresh ricotta

BECHAMEL

800ml milk

1 onion, quartered

1 parmesan rind

50g unsalted butter

1/3 cup (50g) plain flour

1/4 tsp finely grated nutmeg

11/4 cups (125g) grated mozzarella 11/4 cups (140g) grated Pyengana cheddar

Preheat oven to 160°C. Toss beef cheeks in flour, shaking off excess. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef, in batches, and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway, until browned. Remove and set aside.

Wipe pan clean and heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, garlic and rosemary, and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes or until caramelised. Add red wine, and cook for 30 seconds to reduce slightly. Add tomatoes, stock and vinegar, and return beef cheeks to the pan. Bring to just below the boil, cover with a lid and bake for 3 hours. Remove the lid and cook for 45-60 minutes until reduced slightly.

Remove beef and when cool enough to handle, roughly shred. Place sauce over medium heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until reduced by a quarter. Return beef to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.

Increase oven to 200°C. For the bechamel, place milk, onion and parmesan rind in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to just below the boil. Strain and keep warm. Melt butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking, and cook, stirring, for

3-4 minutes until thickened. Add nutmeg, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup cheddar and whisk to combine. Season to taste.

Spoon one third beef mixture into a 3L capacity baking dish. Top with 2 lasagne sheets. Spoon over half the ricotta. Top with another third of the beef mixture, and top with 2 lasagne sheets followed by the remaining ricotta. Add remaining beef mixture and top with remaining lasagne sheets. Pour over bechamel and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup each of mozzarella and cheddar. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce oven to 160°C and cook for a further 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside for 15 minutes then serve.