Karl steps up to the challenge to cook his ultimate dish... Beef cheeks!
What you will need
Large fly pan
Peeler
Large chopping knives x 2
Garlic crusher
Wooden spoons x 2
Measuring jugs x 5
Tongs x 2
Measuring spoons
Dishes/knives & forks x 4
Ingredients
4 x 800g beef cheeks
1 x carrot peeled and chopped
1 x onion peeled and chopped
1 x leek peeled and chopped
4 x garlic cloves
4 tablespoons thyme
1 bottle red wine
100 g plain flour
Vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
1 litre veal stock
1/2 litre chicken stock
Butter
12 pickling onions
200g speck 1 x 3 cm batons
12 button mushrooms trimmed
Chopped parsley
Method
Note: This is a good slow dish. It takes two days to achieve a great result. Start on Friday and invite your friends over for a Sunday lunch!
1. Strip the tough membrane from the beef cheeks. The technique is the same as for skinning a fish fillet. Slip a sharp knife between the membrane and the flesh, hold the membrane tightly with one hand, and zigzag the knife close to the chopping board and along the beef cheek. Discard the membrane.
2. Place the beef cheeks in a bowl along with carrot, leek, onion, garlic and thyme - and cover in red wine marinade. Stir to mix, cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Next day, place a colander over a large bowl and tip the meat, vegetables and marinade into the colander. Allow to drain.
4. Extract the cheeks and pat dry on layers of kitchen paper. Separate the vegetables.
5. Coat the beef cheeks with flour on either side.
6. Heat one-third of the vegetable oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the cheeks nicely on either side. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add in the vegetables that you removed from the marinade and brown slightly.
9. Slowly tip the strained wine into the pan.
10. Add the chicken stock and veal stock to barely cover. Cover with lid and cook for approximately 3 hours.
11. Preheat oven to 140C.
12. Then, 15 minutes prior to completion, add in the pickling onions, the speck, the button mushrooms and put the lid back on.
13. Cook for 15 minutes then taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
14. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
