Braised Beef Cheeks Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil is heating, pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef, without crowding, on all sides, about 20 minutes total, and transfer with tongs to a bowl. Pour off fat from pot, then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Stir cocoa powder into vegetable mixture, then add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Return cheeks (with any juices) to pot and add tomatoes with juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then braise, covered, in middle of oven until very tender, about 3 hours.

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.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow casserole. Fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Toss the beef in the flour, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan, then brown the meat in batches, adding the final tbsp oil if you need to. It should take about 5 mins to brown each batch properly.
• Add the five-spice and star anise (if using) to the pan, tip in the gingery mix, then fry for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the sugar, then the beef and stir until combined. Keep the heat high, then splash in the wine or sherry, scraping up any meaty bits. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• Pour in the soy and stock (it won't cover the meat completely), bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hrs, stirring the meat halfway through. The meat should be very soft, and any sinewy bits should have melted away. Season with more soy. This can now be chilled and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Nestle the cooked bok choi into the pan, then bring to the table with the basmati rice straight away and tuck in.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy ovenproof pan or flameproof casserole dish, big enough to hold the beef cheeks, over a high heat. Dust the beef cheeks in the flour and fry on all sides until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the carrots, onion and bay, and fry until well coloured. Add the beer and let it simmer and reduce by three-quarters. Return the beef to the pan, cover with the stock and put the pan in the oven, covered. Leave to braise for 3 hrs 30 mins or until tender but not completely falling apart. Once cool, the cheeks can be chilled if making in advance.
• Pour the braising liquid through a sieve, return to the pan and put back on a high heat to reduce by half. Return the beef to the cooking liquid and leave to simmer over a low heat before serving.
• To make the polenta, heat the milk until steaming. Add the polenta, whisking continuously, and cook over a very low heat for 5 mins. Make sure to stir the polenta at regular intervals so that it doesn't stick or become lumpy. Add the coffee and 50g butter, season and keep stirring until smooth. Add a little water to loosen, if necessary.
• Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. When foaming, add the mushrooms and garlic, cook for 5 mins, then add the parsley. Cut the beef cheeks in half so that you have four even-sized pieces. Put a few generous spoons of polenta in the bottom of four deep bowls or plates. Put a piece of beef cheek on top and scatter the mushrooms around. Serve the remaining sauce in a jug on the side.