BRAISED BEEF CHEEK

WITH WINTER VEGETABLES

 As we are finally reaching the depths of winter, why not bring the restaurant to you? The Bespoke Chef’s Jacob McKerrow has over a decade of experience in some of New Zealand’s top restaurants, providing luxury restaurant-quality in-home dining. Jacob loves creating seasonal and exciting menus for you to enjoy at home. This beef cheek dish is the perfect complement to a frosty Christchurch evening. 

SERVES 4

 4 beef cheeks 

2 parsnips 

1 pumpkin 

4 large shallots 

1 carrot 

1 onion 

1 stick of celery 

2 bay leaves 

500mls of cream 

2 litres of beef stock 

3 cloves of garlic 

250g of butter 

500ml of red wine 

2 cups of water 

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place your roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and garlic in a heated frying pan. Once they are nicely brown, remove them from the heat and place them in an ovenproof dish. Take your beef cheek, and season with salt and pepper. Heat up the pan again and sear the beef cheeks until they are crispy and browned. Deglaze your pan with red wine. 

Put the beef cheeks in the ovenproof dish with the vegetables, add red wine and beef stock. Place the lid on and put it in the oven for four hours, checking occasionally. Once cooked, take the beef cheeks out and put them aside. Place half of the cooking liquor from the ovenproof dish in a pot, heat and reduce until it makes a thick sauce. 

For the parsnip purée, peel and dice the parsnip, and place it into a medium pot. Add cream and a knob of butter, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat until soft. Remove the parsnip from the pot and keep the cream liquid. Add your parsnip to a blender and blend, slowly adding the cream mixture until parsnip is a smooth purée. 

Place peeled shallots and water in a pot and boil. Cook until tender and then drain. Cut in half when cool, and sear in a hot pan. This adds colour and flavour. 

Cut and peel the pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper. Roast with oil at 180 degrees Celcius for 20–30 minutes until brown and tender. Put the beef cheeks back in the oven to heat for the last 10 minutes. 

To plate, start with your parsnip puree, then pumpkin, then shallots. Lastly, place your beef cheek beside this and pour over the reduced sauce. You can add peas or green vegetables for colour.