GINGER-BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS WITH SPICED LENTILS AND WATERCRESS YOGHURT

 

Ginger braised beef cheeks by Tom Kerridge. Like many of Tom Kerridge’s recipes it’s quite involved – although this one is time consuming rather than technique.

I was  quite excited about this recipe – ginger is a favourite flavour of mine (taking after my mother).

The beef cheeks have been marinated in stout & spices for 24 hours before being braised for 4 hours in the oven. These are then left overnight for the flavour to intensify. Sheila did pink pickled onions rather than slices of raw onion recommended by Tom Kerridge. I also suggested that the liquor was reduced until almost syrupy. Both worked.

It was delicious! Beautiful warmth of ginger through the dish.

 Well worth the effort…… after all, the best things come to those who wait…

More

Beef Shatkora

Beef Pepper Fry

MarinatedvBeef 

Ingredients

300ml stout
4 star anise
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large beef cheeks, about 400g each, cut in half and trimmed
sunflower oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
150g fresh root ginger, skin on and finely chopped
900ml beef stock
salt and pepper, to taste

For the spiced red lentils:
250g red lentils
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 cinnamon stick
800ml chicken stock
2 limes, juice only
For the watercress yoghurt:
bunch of watercress, finely chopped
200g plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
To serve:é
2 red onions, thinly sliced
juice of one orange
juice of two limes
1 scoth bonnet chilli very finely chopped seeds  in or out to taste
salt and pepper
coriander laves

Method

One or two days before you plan to serve this, mix the stout, star anise, coriander and cumin sees, chilli flakes and ground ginger together in a large bowl. season  the beef cheeks, then add the marinade cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for at 24 hours.

The next day, preheat the oven to 140C/Gas Mark 1. Remove the beefcheeks from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen roll. Reserve the marinade. Heat about 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the ox cheeks and sear on both sides until they turn a lovely brown caramelized colour. Remove the cheeks from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions to the fat remaining in the pot, reduce the heat to low and fry, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes until softened, but not coloured. Add a little extra oil to the pot, if necessary, then add the garlic, ginger and fry, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until they are browned but not burnt.

Return the cheeks to the pot, pour in the stout marinade and the beef stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 4 hours until the beef is very tender. Remove the pot from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool transfer the pot to the fridge and store for 24 hours.

The following morning prepare the pink pickled onions. In a bowl cover the onions with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain then add the orange juice and lime juice and chilli.  Season well with salt and pepper. mix well using your hands.  Leave to marinade for 5 to 6 hours

Later make the spiced red lentils. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and place the lentils into a roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven and toast for 15 minutes until they are just a little tinged. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the turmeric and chilli powder and stir for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the lentils and the cinnamon stick, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and leave the lentils to simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t catch on the base of the pan, for about 40 minutes until they fall apart and you have a purée in the pan. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat the beef cheeks and their cooking juices. Remove the cheeks from the pan and boil rapidly to reduce the sauce. When it as reduced  blitz with a hand mixer. Serve the beef cheeks with a little of the sauce, the red lentil purée, a good dollop of the watercress yoghurt. Garnish with the onion slices and coriander.
Spread the love

Leave a Comment