By Eddie Shilton, head chef at Battlestead’s Hotel, Walk, Northumberland
Ingredients
Beef
4 trimmed beef cheeks
2 carrots, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 litre beef stock
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
3 sprigs of parsley
½ bottle red wine
3 tbsp olive oil
Mash
1kg Vivaldi potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
150g garlic butter
Garlic Butter
250g softened butter
2 bulbs of garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
Carrots
4 whole carrots, peeled, part cooked and sliced lengthways in 2 cm thick lengths
Olive oil
Method
Beef
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan before adding the beef cheeks. Once the cheeks are brown on all sides, remove and set aside. Add the carrots, onion and celery to the pan and brown. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the tomato puree and red wine and bring to the boil, scraping up any bits off the pan bottom.
Add the beef cheeks back into the pan along with bay leaves, parsley and thyme. Cover with the beef stock then bring back to the boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours until the cheeks are tender.
Once tender, remove the cheeks and keep them warm by covering in cling film to stop them drying out. Bring the pan back to the boil and reduce the stock by half or until a glossy lightly thick consistency is achieved. Pass this through a sieve to remove the veg before adding the cheeks back to the stock and gently warming.
Whilst the sauce is reducing, begin to make the mash.
Mash
Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. When soft, drain through a colander before returning them to the pan to dry out slightly. Finish them off by beating in the garlic butter until smooth and keep warm for serving.
Garlic Butter
Blend the garlic in a food processor until a puree forms. Beat the puree into the 250g of softened butter and season with salt and pepper, leave this to set.
Carrots
Heat a griddle pan until smoking. Lightly brush the carrots with oil then place the carrots on the griddle for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occassionally for 2 to 3 minutes before setting aside. Keep warm for serving.
To serve, place a good spoon of mash in a bowl. Top with a beef cheek and plenty of sauce before garnishing with 3 or 4 carrots and sprinkling with chopped parsley.
