Featured Recipe: Slow-cooked Ox Cheeks in Stout

Posted: 13th December 2014

Traditionally this dish would be cooked in wine but here we use our Double Stout for a delicious rich flavour. The secret is cooking the ox cheeks slowly to produce a melt in the mouth texture. This dish is really easy to prepare and also works well in a slow cooker making it perfect for preparing in advance. It also reheats well. If you cannot get hold of ox cheek then substitute shin of beef or venison stewing steak.

BEER MATCH: Double Stout

For this melt-in-the-mouth, rich, warming dish we have chosen to match it with the stout it is cooked, in for a sumptuous winter supper. The richness of this dish matches luxuriantly with the rich, creaminess of the Double Stout, the deep meaty flavours of the beef the perfect partner to the earthy smokiness of the beer.

Delicious! Double Stout is available in some supermarkets, or from our online shop.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 4 ¾ hrs
Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 Ox Cheeks
2 large Carrots, chopped
1 small swede, peeled and diced
2 sticks Celery, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
25ml Brandy
500ml Double Stout
1 clove
750ml Beef Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 Star Anise
1 tsp Thyme
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
2 Anchovies
100g Plain Flour
Salt and Black pepper

Method

1/ Pre-heat the oven to 160˚c.

2/ Trim the ox cheeks of excess fat. Render the fat in a large stock pot over a medium/high heat.

3/ Cut each cheek into 2 to 3 pieces, depending on size. Season the flour with salt and dust the meat to lightly coat. Add the meat to the pan with the fat and brown.

4/ Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

5/ Add the onions, celery, garlic, diced swede and carrots to the pan and cook until slightly softened.

6/ Add back the meat then add the tomato puree and stir in. Cook until the puree darkens and coats the meat and vegetables in a sticky glaze.

7/ Deglaze the pan with the brandy then then add the stout, clove, cinnamon, bay leaves, star anise, stock, thyme and anchovies.

8/ Bring the mixture to the boil then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours.

9/ After 4 hours check the meat is tender. Turn off the oven and leave it to relax for half an hour in the hot oven. Re-heat before serving if needed.

Serve with mashed potato, polenta or celeriac mash and buttered cabbage or leeks.