This meat cut contains a fair amount of connecting tissue, hence it is naturally high in collagen, which provides a multitude of health benefits. Prolonged slow-cooking breaks down this collagen and it becomes slightly gelatinous, producing a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This recipe has the classic slow braising technique but we are not using celery or carrots. Suggested ingredients and method will reward you with the full flavour of beef cheeks. We are serving them over cauliflower puree. However, any other neutral vegetable can be used for the puree.

Beef Cheeks and Cauliflower

Serves 8. Cooking time 4 hours. Your time 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 beef cheek cuts

1 large brown onion, diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup sour cherry (Morello) juice

1 red capsicum

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cooking salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 small cauliflower

*min 4l casserole pot

*a pot to cook cauliflower

Method:

1. Dice the meat into a bite size pieces. Put casserole with oil and ghee over medium heat. Season the meat and stir-fry for a few minutes over high heat.
2. Mix the onion and garlic in and reduce the heat to the very minimum. Cover with a lid and towel. Leave for an hour.
3. Add the juice and mix well. Check for seasoning.
4. Seed and dice the capsicum. Add to the meat, mix, cover with the lid and towel. Slow-cook for two hours, still on minimum heat. Check the meat for softness, if not falling apart, add a little stock or water and continue cooking until very soft.
5. Break up and cut the whole cauliflower into a different pot. Cover about 1/3 of cauliflower with lightly salted water, cover and cook until soft, then process to make a cauliflower puree. Serve the beef cheeks with a generous amount of sauce over the puree.

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