Braised Beef Cheeks with Orecchiette
Ingredients
- 3 beef cheeks
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 250 ml red wine
- 500 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 40 gm unsalted butter
- 750 gm orecchiette pasta
- ½ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Parmesan cheese to serve
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 140°C Fan.
- Place oil in a large heavy-based ovenproof saucepan over a high heat. Season the beef cheeks with salt and pepper and brown all over then remove from pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining oil, onion, celery and carrot and cook until the onion is soft, then add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Return the beef cheeks and add the herbs, wine, stock and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with lid, transfer to oven for 3½ – 4 hours until tender.
- Meanwhile, in the last 20 minutes of the beef cooking time, cook the orecchiette in salted boiling water according to packet instructions.
- Remove beef from oven and discard bay leaves. Use two forks to pull apart and shred the meat into the sauce, then add the butter. Stir the cooked pasta through the sauce, season with salt and pepper and top with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe, Food Styling and Photography by Karen McFarlane, foodlove.com.au
