Beef cheeks slowly cooked to perfection
Get ready to savour mouthwatering morsels of meat.
It’s not easy to write about an unglamorous cut of beef at a time when we’re all being encouraged to eat less meat.
Beef cheeks can even be a hard sell to devoted carnivores that have yet to embrace nose-to-tail eating, but it’s high time this changed.
This cut, which needs long, slow cooking to transform it, is full of flavour and they’re extremely reasonably priced.
Don’t be put off by the lengthy cooking time in the two recipes below – after the initial preparation the oven does all the work. Both also freeze well, so you can divide them up and squirrel them away for an almost-instant dinner.
Braised beef cheeks with tomatoes, pumpkin and gremolata
Serves 8 generously Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3.5 hours This is very good with a pile of velvety mashed potato or cheesy polenta, plus a hunk of crusty bread and a rocket salad dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.3kg beef cheeks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 onions, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 sticks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 stalks thyme 1⁄2 cup red wine
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
300g pumpkin, cut into 2cm chunks For the gremolata:
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley Zest of two lemons
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Trim any fat or gristly bits from the beef cheeks and pat dry with paper towels. Season well on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside. Take a large, lidded, ovenproof, stoveproof pot and set it over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons olive oil, then sear the beef cheeks until well browned on all sides (you will probably have to do this in batches). Remove to a plate when done.
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. When it’s hot, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until soft and starting to colour. Tie the herbs together with a piece of cotton string and drop into the pot, followed by the wine. Stir well and let bubble up for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes. Stir well, then return the beef cheeks to the pot, plus any juices that have collected on the plate. Press the beef cheeks down so they are nearly covered with liquid. Season well with salt and pepper, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
Cook for three hours, at which point the meat should be pretty tender. Add the pumpkin, stir gently and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes. By this stage the pumpkin should be tender and the meat should be soft enough to ‘‘cut’’ with a spoon.
Remove from the oven and set aside for five minutes to rest while you make the gremolata. Put the parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl and toss together. Sprinkle this mixture over the beef cheeks before serving.
Beef cheeks with turmeric and chilli
Serves 6 generously Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 3 to 3.5 hours This simple slow-cooked dish is inspired by a ‘‘Burmese curry’’ recipe from an Australian Women’s Weekly
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.2kg beef cheeks
4 onions, peeled and finely chopped
5cm ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
1⁄2 – 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or one small red chilli, finely chopped
2-3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Heat the oven to 150C. Trim any fat or gristly bits from the beef cheeks and pat dry with paper towels. Season well on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
Take a large, lidded, ovenproof, stoveproof pot and set it over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then sear beef cheeks until well browned on all sides (you will probably have to do this in batches). Remove to a plate when done.
Lower the heat to medium, then add the onions, ginger and garlic, plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Saute for about 10 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the turmeric and chilli and cook for another few minutes. Pour in one cup of the stock and stir well. Return the meat to the pot, then add the remaining stock so it just covers the meat. Season well with salt and pepper, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
Cook for about three hours, until the meat is very soft. Remove from the oven and stir through the soy sauce, then serve. cookbook that’s as old as I am. The amount of chilli is reasonably mild – fire it up a bit if you like things very hot. Serve with rice and steamed greens.