SLOW COOKED BEEF CHEEKS
Slow cooker season is with us here in Sydney today! It is cold, it’s wet and it is raining hard, the perfect time for a comforting meal like these beef cheeks.
Feel free to use lamb shanks or even osso buco as an alternative to the cheeks, it will work just as well.
4 x 220g beef cheeks, trimmed
2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 brown onion, cut in chunks
2 head, Australian garlic, skinned whole bulbs
2 carrots, roughly chopped on angle
1 stick celery, roughly chopped on angle
2 tbs tomato paste
25g whole dried shiitake mushrooms
2 bottles dark beer
2 cup good quality beef or veal stock (I used my mate @chefmattmoran new "My Perfect Stock")
4 sprig thyme
2 dried bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
To serve
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Lemon zest
Polenta, cooked as per packet instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Using a medium cast iron pot, heat over a medium high heat and cook the beef cheeks in the oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or until nicely coloured. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 2. Add the onion, carrot, celery to the pan and cook for 3 mins or until lightly coloured and fragrant. Add the garlic, shiitake and herbs. Return the beef cheeks to the pot and cover with dark beer and stock, season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and place in oven for 3-5 hrs or until the cheeks are super tender and falling apart.
Step 3. Serve beef cheeks with creamy polenta, parsley and lemon zest.
