Braised Ox Cheeks With Port And Balsamic Vinegar Recipes

BRAISED OX CHEEKS

Steps:

• Place the ox cheeks in a large stainless steel container and cover with the stout, wine, rosemary, thyme, garlic, celery, bay leaves, carrots, leeks and onions. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 330 degrees F. Drain the meat in a colander, reserving the marinade and vegetables.
• Heat some vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently fry the the marinated vegetables for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir over a low heat for 1 minute. Slowly add the marinade, stirring constantly to incorporate. Bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid reduces by half. Add the stock and the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bring back to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven and roast until the meat is tender, 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
• Once the meat is cooked the sauce should be sufficiently thick. If it is not, remove the meat and simmer the liquid on the stovetop until it thickens up in consistency, a few minutes. Place the meat back into the finished sauce to serve.
• Serve the braised ox cheeks with smoked cauliflower mash and crispy bone marrow, or with buttery mashed potatoes and green vegetables.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Season both sides of pork cheeks with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and press it into the meat to coat thoroughly.
• Heat clarified butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear meat on both sides until richly browned, adjusting heat lower if necessary. When cheeks are browned, reduce heat to medium. Transfer cheeks to a plate to rest.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery to skillet. Cook and stir until softened and sweet, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour in the cider and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Add sage and rosemary. Reduce heat to low and transfer cheeks back to pan. Cover. Cook until fork tender but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the pork cheeks. Transfer to a plate.
• Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, skimming off fat as it rises to the surface. Reduce volume of liquid by about 60 to 70%. Sauce will start to thicken up. Taste for salt and season as needed. Transfer cheeks back to liquid. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until cheeks are heated through and tender and sauce is thick enough to coat cheeks.

BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Add onion and carrot; cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Pour beef stock and wine into the Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Stir in porcini mushrooms, bouillon cubes, thyme, and bay leaves. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the surface. Cover with a tight lid.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beef is very tender, 5 to 6 hours.
• Transfer beef to a plate. Discard bay leaves. Blend cooking liquid with an immersion blender to make a smooth sauce. Serve beef with sauce.

BRAISED OX CHEEKS WITH PORT AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Place an oven-proof pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the cheeks and cook until nicely coloured on all sides.
• Remove the cheeks and set aside; without cleaning the pan, add the vegetables and cook for 6 minutes.
• Add the port to the pan to deglaze it (scrape up any bits which are stuck to the sides because these will have great flavour).
• Once the liquid has almost all evaporated, add the stock, vinegar and rosemary and return the cheeks to the pan.
• Bring to the boil then cover and transfer to the oven.
• Cook for 2 1/2 hours.
• If the liquid appears runny, place the pan back on the hop, remove the lid and reduce the sauce until it is smooth.
• Serve with plenty of mashed potatoes.

BRAISED OX CHEEKS & MUSTARD BUTTER

Steps:

• Two-and-a-half days before you plan to eat, put the cheeks in a bowl and pour over the ale. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 hrs.
• Up to two days ahead, make the mustard butter by beating the ingredients, together with 3/4 tsp salt, using a wooden spoon in a bowl. Tip onto a sheet of baking parchment or cling film, wrap and roll up to form a sausage shape, then chill in the fridge until needed.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Remove the cheeks from the beer, pat dry on kitchen paper and season, reserving the beer. Heat the oil in a wide flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based pan. Sear the cheeks on all sides, then set aside. Add the vegetables and garlic to the hot dish and cook for 10 mins until browned.
• Return the cheeks to the dish with the ale, stock and herbs. Gently bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities as you go. Cover with a tight-fitting lid (or foil) and braise in the oven for 4 hrs until the meat is very tender.
• Once cooked, leave the beef to rest in the cooking liquid until cool - this will give you a much fuller flavour. Then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
• The following day, remove the cheeks from the fridge. Put the casserole dish over a medium heat to warm though before lifting the cheeks into a bowl and passing the liquor through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Bubble on the hob for 15-20 mins until reduced to a rich sauce. Season and return the cheeks to the sauce to warm through. Remove the cheeks again, slice and divide between plates, spooning over some of the sauce. Put a slice of the mustard butter on top of each cheek to melt and serve with pearl barley and steamed greens.

PORK BRAISED IN PORT AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Rinse and season the pork with salt and pepper: Add a little rosemary to the initial rub for more flavor.
• Heat the oil over high heat in a heavy skillet large enough to hold all the pork.
• Put the pork in and sear it for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side.
• Remove the meat and set aside while preparing the sauce: keep warm.
• After removing the meat from the pan, pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Saute for about 5 min.
• Deglaze the pan with the stock, wine, and vinegar, stirring well.
• Bring to a boil and re-add the pork; reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook 4-5 minutes, turn, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, for a total cook time between 11-15 minutes.
• (If the pieces you're using are thicker than that, double the second cook time.) Keep warm again.
• Degrease the pan and reduce until its contents are just syrupy.
• Serve as sauce.