Beer Braised Beef Cheek Pearl Barley Risotto Malted Onions Ale Sauce Recipes

BEER-BRAISED BEEF CHEEK, PEARL BARLEY RISOTTO, MALTED ONIONS & ALE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the beef cheeks in a dish, cover with the ale and add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf, then leave to marinate for at least 6 hrs - or overnight.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Strain off the cheeks and transfer the marinating liquid, garlic and herbs to a large flameproof casserole dish and bring to the boil. In a frying pan, brown the beef cheeks in a little oil until caramelised on both sides. Add the cheeks to the casserole dish with the marinade and pour in enough beef stock to cover. Bring to the boil, cover, then braise in the oven for 4 hrs until the cheeks are very tender. Every so often, skim off any fat from the surface to keep the stock clean.
• While the beef is in the oven, make the malted onions. Put the ale in a frying pan, add the whole onions, cover and simmer until the onions are tender, about 20 mins. Leave to cool completely, then remove the skin and slice the onions into sixths and set aside.
• Once the beef is cooked, remove the cheeks, herbs and garlic and set aside, then reduce the stock rapidly until it is syrupy. Return the cheeks to the pan and glaze with the sticky reduction, then keep warm until needed.
• Roughly 40 mins before you're ready to serve, make the risotto. Put the chicken stock in a large pan and bring it to the boil. Add the barley, then cook for 15 mins. Remove from the heat, strain, then tip the barley into a medium-sized pan.
• Place the garlic in a small pan with the double cream and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins, then transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside about 50ml of the garlic cream and pour the remainder over the barley. Keep warm over a low heat.
• Meanwhile, separate the layers of malted onions and finish by frying in a hot pan, with a little oil and butter, until golden.
• Just before serving, add the Parmesan and lemon juice to the barley risotto and salt, to taste. Spoon on to the centre of each plate, then slice the cheeks and arrange on top of the risotto. Place 3 malted onion wedges around the side and drizzle over the reduced ale stock.

BEER-BRAISED BEEF AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper, bay leaves and paprika. Toss meat to coat, then cover, refrigerate and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large (8-quart) Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, brown beef on two sides until dark and crusty, transferring to a bowl when browned (reserve bay leaves). As you cook, add more oil and adjust heat if necessary to prevent burning.
• When all the meat is browned, add onions to the empty pot and return the heat to medium-high if you lowered it. Cook, stirring and scraping up the brown coating on the bottom of the pan as the onions release their liquid.
• Continue cooking until onions are deeply golden brown and soft, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, make a bouquet garni by tying thyme, parsley and reserved bay leaves together with kitchen string (or just throw them in the pot and warn your guests not to eat them).
• Push the onions to the sides, then add tomato paste, coriander and cinnamon to the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until paste is darkened and fragrant. Stir in flour, cook another minute, then add stock, beer, 1 cup water and bouquet garni. Return beef and any juices in the bowl to the pot, bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning it over halfway through.
• If the sauce seems thin, remove the meat with a slotted spoon; cover with foil to keep warm. Return pot with liquid to stove and simmer until thickened to taste, 5 to 10 minutes. Return the meat to pot and stir to heat through. Serve from the pot or a platter. Garnish with chopped parsley, flaky sea salt, pepper and paprika. Serve with mustard on the side.