Braised ox cheeks

Name: Braised ox cheeks
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 ox cheeks, 1.5kg approximately; 325ml of red wine; 1 bay leaf; peppercorns, a few; 1 garlic clove, squished; 1 red chilli, dried; 50g of butter; 1 large onion, peeled and chopped; 1 stick of celery, finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 300ml of beef stock, or chicken stock; 1 tbsp of tomato purée; salt; pepper; oil

by James Ramsden

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
3 hours 15 minutes

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Outrageously flavoursome, spectacularly gelatinous, ox cheeks are one of the most underrated ingredients out there. James Ramsden shows us how to make the most out of this thrifty cut, creating a dish that guests will be talking about long after the meal ends.

First published in 2017

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I am a cheek man. Pork cheeks, cow, skate, doesn’t matter to me, its cheeks are the nuggets I most adore. They appeal to my lazy side, being easily portionable and neat, and they appeal to my Yorkshire side, being cheap. A skate’s cheeks are known as knobs, by the way, so if you encounter them on a restaurant menu or in your fishmonger, don’t be alarmed. You won’t be noshing anything priapic.

But I digress. This week it was ox cheeks. In the panoply of meat cuts they are among the finest – outrageously flavoursome, spectacularly gelatinous (and thus most gleefully slow-cooked), and extraordinarily handsome.

This recipe, which takes about 15 minutes of your time, will be the talk of the town, or at least your home, for many years to come.

Do this a day or two ahead if you like – the flavour will only improve – and serve with mashed potato or, as I did, celeriac and horseradish purée and a few greens.

Ingredients

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Imperial

For the marinade

2 ox cheeks, 1.5kg approximately
325ml of red wine
1 bay leaf
peppercorns, a few
1 garlic clove, squished
1 red chilli, dried

For the braise

50g of butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
300ml of beef stock, or chicken stock
1 tbsp of tomato purée
salt
pepper
oil

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Method

Put the ox cheeks in a bowl with the other marinade ingredients and add a good pinch of salt. Leave for as long as you can – ideally in the fridge for a few days, but an hour is better than nothing

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Remove the cheeks from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly. Heat a drop of oil (if using olive don’t use your best) in a frying pan over a strong flame and brown the cheeks thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Transfer to a large saucepan

Lower the heat, add the butter and melt, then add the vegetables and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Soften for a few minutes then add to the saucepan with the ox cheeks

Tip the marinade into the frying pan along with the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping any sticky bits off the bottom of the pan. Tip this into the saucepan, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours until tender

Remove the cheeks from the braising liquor and rest in a bowl. Put the saucepan over a generous heat, add the tomato purée and simmer to reduce by about a half

Meanwhile shred the cheeks with a couple of forks. Return to the pan and stir through the reduced broth. Keep warm until ready to serve, or cool and refrigerate until whenever needed

First published in 2017

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James Ramsden

James Ramsden is author of four cookbooks, he has written about food and cooking for Delicious magazine, the Guardian, the Times, the London Evening Standard and many others.

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