Ox Cheek Stew

I've wanted to cook ox cheek for some time, mainly to wind up the kids about not being entirely sure which end of the ox the cheeks come from. Much nervous laughter later and truth be told I'm genuinely not 100% sure. Surely if it was the arse end these would be huge, right? Right?

Anyway, whatever end they come from they need a lot of cooking to break down that firm buttocky sinew. This recipe calls for five hours in a low oven. Oh, and a whole bottle of red wine. This is a seriously rich stew that is perfect for a busy winter Sunday. Absolutely delicious. The cheeks were ridiculously tender (not a sentence I thought I'd ever write) with a sauce crying out for a hunk of crusty bread.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
50g butter
3 large ox cheeks, trimmed and quartered
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with 1 tsp sea salt
150g smoked bacon lardons
2 onions, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 tbsp tomato puree
1 bottle red wine
salt to taste

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150C/gas 2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Roll the ox cheeks in seasoned flour, then pat off any excess. When the butter sizzles, add the meat and fry until well browned. Do in batched if necessary. Remove the meat to a casserole dish.
3. Add the bacon to the pan and fry until lightly coloured. Add the onions and bay leaves and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes, stirring well to prevent the puree from catching.
4. Add the red win and bring to a boil. Carefully add all the casserole dish. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 5 hours until tender. Turn the meat occasionally.
5. When ready add salt if necessary and serve with mash and veg.