Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks Recipes

BEEF CHEEK RAGù

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Cover the porcini with boiling kettle water and leave to rehydrate. Season the beef cheeks with sea salt and black pepper, then brown them in a large casserole pan on a high heat with a splash of oil, turning until well coloured all over. Meanwhile, slice the pancetta into lardons. Peel the celery, onions and carrots, then chop into rough 1cm dice. In a pestle and mortar, crush the cloves with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then peel and pound in the fresh garlic.
• When brown, push the cheeks to one side of the pan and reduce to a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cinnamon, stirring until the pancetta is lightly golden. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquor, then roughly chop and add to the pan with the veg. Tie the herbs together, then stir in with the garlic mixture. Fry for 15 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the wine, let it reduce by half, then pour in the reserved porcini water (discarding just the last gritty bit) and the passata. Fill the passata bottle with water and pour into the pan. Cover with a scrunched-up sheet of wet greaseproof paper and a lid. Cook in the oven for 4 hours, or until the meat is outrageously tender and the sauce has thickened. Taste the sauce and season, if needed, then serve up however you wish.

SLOW COOKED BEEF CHEEKS

Steps:

• Prepare the beef cheeks: cut off any large, fatty membrane. Pat dry then use 1 tsp of salt and black pepper to season the beef all over.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Sear half the beef cheeks on each side until nicely browned. Remove beef cheeks onto a plate, repeat with remaining cheeks.
• Turn down the heat to medium high and heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for 3 minutes until onion is becoming translucent.
• Add the celery and carrot,s sauté for a further 3 minutes.
• Follow directions for your chosen cooking method below.

SLOW COOKER BEEF CHEEKS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a frypan over high heat, quickly brown the beef cheeks. Once brown, put to the side.
• Add the red wine into the same frypan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continually.
• In a slow cooker, add the onions, garlic, carrots, brown sugar, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and the mushrooms. Lastly, add the beef cheeks, wine, and beef stock.
• Cook on low for 8 hours or until the beef cheek is tender.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the cornstarch and water to form a paste. Slowly mix into the slow cooker. Allow to cook on high for a further 15 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve & Enjoy.

SLOW COOKED BEEF CHEEK

Steps:

• Take the beef cheeks and trim the large fatty membrane off (or ask you butcher to do this). If the cheeks are whole, cut in half so you have four pieces of meat. Place the beef cheeks in a container and add the wine, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours but a minimum of 3.
• Preheat the oven to 1460C/ Fan 140C/ gas 3. Remove the meat and reserve the marinade. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cheeks, one at a time and then place in a casserole dish. Finely chop the onion and fry in the meat juices and then add to the casserole. Add the marinade and balsamic vinegar to the pan use to deglaze. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add to the casserole with the pint of stock and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole dish and place in the oven for 4 hours. Turn the meat every hour.
• Trim the tops off the beetroot so only an inch remains. Leave the roots on. Place in a roasting tray with the oil, garlic and thyme and roast for 2 hours at 160C/ fan 140C/ gas 3. Remove once beetroot feels tender to the touch.
• After 4 hours remove the lid to the casserole and cook for the remaining 2 hours uncovered. Baste the meat regularly. Once the beetroot is tender to the touch it is ready. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
• For the fondant potatoes peel the potatoes one at a time and cut down into rectangular shapes. Make the potatoes even in size and halve them. Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan. Stand the potatoes in the butter once it is bubbling, leave them to brown for 5-6 minutes without moving them. Then turnover and leave for another 5-6 minutes. Then add the stock (CAUTION: the butter will spit when it comes into contact with the stock), garlic and thyme. Reduce the heat so the stock is simmering. Cover the pan and leave the stock to reduce. The potatoes are cooked when a knife can easily be inserted into the side of them (around 10 minutes). Remove from the heat but leave in the pan to stay warm.
• Turn off the oven. Peel the beetroot, being careful not to burn your fingers. Slice thinly and place on an oven tray and place in the oven to stay warm.
• Remove the beef. Place 10 ladles of the liquid into a frying pan. Cover the meat so it keeps warm. Bring the liquid to the boil and allow to reduce until it is syrupy. Stir regularly.
• Remove the potato fondant from the saucepan and discard the stock. Plate up with the beef, beetroot and sauce.