Recipe - Braised Asian Beef Cheeks

· Serves 6 people

I love braising!!! It means you can create fabulous dishes a head of time.I make this beef dish the day before serving.Try serving the cheeks with delicious sides and condiments such as Steamed rice, Japanese pancakes, Pickled cabbage, Steamed bao buns and Fresh Asian herbs

 

Braise

• 1.6kg Beef Cheeks – trimmed of excess sinew
• Olive oil
• 1 bunch Spring onions
• 10gm Ginger – crushed
• 4 Garlic cloves - crushed
• 2 Star anise
• 1 small Cinnamon stick 
• 1 Tbs Crispy chilli oil *See notes
• ¼ C Hoisin Sauce
• ¼ C Brown Sugar
• ¼ C Soy Sauce
• ¼ C Shaoxing wine
• ¼ C Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Mallie Dijon mustard
• 3 C Chicken stock – or enough to cover
• Flakey sea salt

Garnish

• Coriander
• Sliced Red chilli
• Cucumber batons
• Shaved radish
• Honey roasted peanuts – crushed
• White Sesame seeds
• Spring onion – tops, thinly sliced
• Japanese spring onion pancakes - Store brought, enough for 2 each

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 160°C
2. Cut large cheeks in half, if they are too big, they will take longer to cook. Heat a large fry pan with a swig of olive oil, lightly season cheeks and sear on all sides.
   Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, causing them to steam instead of fry.
   Place them into a roasting tray or tagine.
3. Remove the white end of the spring onions and add them to the beef cheeks, keep the green tops for garnish.
4. Add all other braising ingredients into the tray or tagine. If using a roasting tray cover with baking paper, then tin foil. Check cheeks after 4 hours of cooking (they make take 5 hours depending on their size) turning the cheeks once while cooking. Gently pierce the meat with a fork to check if the cheeks are soft.
5. Remove the lid or foil and allow the cheeks to come to room temperature. Remove the cheeks from the liquid and pass it through a fine sieve, this will remove unwanted bits of spring onion and aromatics .Add liquid and cheeks back together and store in the refrigerator until required. 
6. Preheat your oven to 200°C
7. Place Cheeks into a roasting tray with enough braising liquid for it to come halfway up the cheeks.
8. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, baste cheeks with the hot braising liquid to glaze them.Continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes until hot and fabulous.
9. Serve with suggested sides and garnish.