Braised ox cheek with spiced crushed carrots and horseradish
This braised ox cheek recipe is the perfect winter warmer for those weekends you want to fill the house with that unforgettable aroma of braising meat. Marinate the cheeks the night before then slowly braise for ten hours to create the most tender and unctuous beef with a rich, warming sauce. If you can't find a fresh horseradish root, serve with a jar of good quality horseradish cream.
Ingredients
Braised ox cheek
- 2kg ox cheek
- 500ml of red wine
- 500ml of chicken stock, fresh if possible
- 1/4 bunch of thyme
- 8 garlic cloves , peeled
- 100g of plain flour
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
Spiced carrot
To serve
- 4 handfuls of greens, such as cavolo nero, chard, kale and/or savoy cabbage
- fresh horseradish , grated
Equipment
- Blender
Method
Begin by marinating the ox cheeks the night before. Trim the cheeks, removing any silver skin and sinew. Place in a container with the red wine, thyme and garlic cloves and store in the fridge to marinate overnight
- 2kg ox cheek
- 500ml of red wine
- 1/4 bunch of thyme
- 8 garlic cloves , peeled
The next morning, or 11 hours before you wish to serve, preheat an oven to 110ºC/gas mark 1/4
Place the flour in a bowl and season heavily with salt and pepper. Place a large pan over a high heat with a good glug of olive oil. Remove the ox cheeks from the marinade and dust with flour, then add to the pan and sear all over
- 100g of plain flour
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Once nicely seared, transfer the cheeks to a deep ovenproof dish and pour their marinade into the pan to deglaze it. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan, releasing all of the flavour from it. Then pour this over the cheeks
Add the chicken stock to the dish and cover with a sheet of baking paper, then a sheet of tin foil. Place in the oven and cook for 10 hours
- 500ml of chicken stock, fresh if possible
Once the ox cheeks are cooked, carefully remove from the dish and set aside to rest. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan pan and reduce over a medium heat until you have a sauce consistency
As the cheeks rest and the sauce reduces, make the spiced carrot. Turn the oven up to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Peel and roughly slice the carrots then place in a roasting tray. Mix with a drizzle of oil, the ground cumin, salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes, or until soft
- 1kg carrots
- olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Transfer the contents of the tray to a blender and pulse into a rough purée. Taste and season
Wash and roughly chop your greens of choice, then steam for a few minutes until cooked through
- 4 handfuls of greens, such as cavolo nero, chard, kale and/or savoy cabbage
To serve, divide the ox cheeks between bowls and pour over some sauce (you can gently rewarm the cheeks in the sauce for a few minutes if needed). Add a spoonful of the carrot purée and some of the lightly steamed greens. Finish with freshly grated horseradish and serve up hot
- fresh horseradish , grated
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Braised ox cheek with spiced crushed carrots and horseradish
