Braised Beef Cheeks in Red Wine By Richard Hughes
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large beef cheeks, trimmed (approx. 1kg)
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 small carrot, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- black peppercorn
- 250ml red wine or local beer
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 750ml beef stock
For the caper dressing:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 50g unsalted capers
- 1 lemon, zest & juice
Preparation Method
Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 1/170°C
- Season the beef cheeks with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the beef cheeks in a large bowl and dust with the flour.
- Heat a flameproof casserole dish, add the vegetable oil and brown the beef cheeks all over, then remove from the dish and set aside.
- Reduce the heat, add the onions, carrots and garlic and fry for 4-6 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
- Add the remaining flour and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the herbs and peppercorns, then add the wine or beer and bring to the boil.
- Return the beef to the dish, add the stock and return to the boil, then cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the beef is very tender.
- To make the caper dressing, stir through the olive oil, garlic, spring onions, capers, lemon zest and flat leaf parsley.
- Season well with a squeeze of lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper.
- To serve, spoon the cheeks and vegetables onto serving plates.
- Spoon on the caper dressing just as you serve.
Recipe Tags: Mains