IF there’s something that really excites me, it’s eating winter meat dishes with a spoon. I find there’s something really satisfying seeing a beautiful piece of beef falling apart with just a little bit of pressure and without the need for a knife.
I was reading the other day about the latest news where I found out that one million people – including one in seven children – are living below the poverty line in New South Wales. That same day, I received a message through Instagram from a reader asking me about what type of cut of meat was the best for a large family.
All that made me think about the beautiful stews and braises my mum used to make with cheap pieces of meat. I know that a lot of readers are used to barbecuing pieces of expensive beef, lamb or pork. However, I’d like to demystify the stigma of what is called second-class cuts of meat. Now more than ever, we have to find the value in these cuts of meat so we can offer our kids a nutritious diet, without making a big hole in our pockets.
Second-class cuts of meat have much more intramuscular fat, or marbling, that makes it extremely tender and flavourful when cooked. They are absolutely delicious and perfect for an autumn and winter dinner! As a kid, I always found fascinating the texture of the meat, the richness of the sauce and the complexity of all the slow cooked flavors.
It’s not just a home cooking favourite of mine. When I worked in the two-hatted restaurant MoVida in Sydney I can assure you “carrilleras with PX” was one of the best sellers, proving humble produce can be the hero in trendy hospitality businesses.
Go to your butcher and ask for second-class pieces of meat, slow cook them with love, use the leftovers for some pasta inspirations, or freeze them for another time. You’ll see how this type of meat will start reducing your shopping budget.
Ingredients
4 x 200g beef cheeks, remove excess fat and sinew
1½ tbsp plain flour
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of red wine
1 large red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large carrots, peeled, diced
2 capsicums, diced
700ml passata
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Pat beef dry with a paper towel. Add flour and seasoning on a plate and toss to coat them lightly.
2. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Cook beef for three to four minutes, in batches, until browned. Set beef aside on a plate.
3. Add the remaining oil to the casserole and cook onion, garlic, carrot and capsicum for a few minutes until caramelised and soft. Add the glass of wine and reduce it very well.
4. Add the passata, stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to the boil and return the beef to the dish.
5. Remove from heat, cover the surface with a cartouche – a rounded piece of baking paper and cover with a lid
6. Cook in the oven for 2½ hours to 3 hours, or until tender. Season to taste, remove and discard bay leaves and thyme stalks. Remove the beef cheeks and blend all the veggies to get an awesome sauce (pass it through a sieve to get a restaurant-quality result)
7. Serve beef cheeks with some pan-fried vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Remember!
– This recipe for beef cheeks could be substituted with other second-class cuts.
– Sweet potato mash or garlic white rice would be a healthy and delicious option to serve with the beef cheeks.
– This recipe is ideal to freeze.