CHOCOLATE BEEF CHEEKS
Serves four
- 2 EMH beef cheeks
- cold-pressed olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 4 garlic cloves
- 150 g cold-smoked bacon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 10 dried prunes
- 20 g dark 70% chocolate
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bottle (500 ml) chocolate porter
- 400 ml beef stock
Peel the onion and garlic. Cut the onion into wedges and crush the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife. Slice the celery stalk. Heat oil in a pan, brown the cheeks on all sides, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a casserole pot. Cut the bacon strips into smaller pieces and fry in the pan together with the onion, garlic and celery. Add to the pot along with the cinnamon, rosemary, chocolate and prunes. Dissolve the tomato paste in the stock. Pour both the stock and the porter into the pot, cover first with baking parchment, then with the lid. Place in a preheated 150 °C oven and braise for at least 4 hours or until the cheeks fall apart. Serve with mustard mashed potatoes, for example.
BEEF CHEEKS WITH KOMBUCHA
Serves six
- 3 EMH beef cheeks
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- cold-pressed olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 5 garlic cloves
- 400 ml kombucha
- 2–3 bay leaves
- a handful of dried chanterelles
- 4 allspice berries
- 1 tbsp juniper berries
- 2 tbsp juniper balsamic vinegar
- 300 ml water
- 200 ml cooking cream
- a large handful of lingonberries
cauliflower steaks:
- 2 cauliflowers
- onion and garlic powder
- salt
- cold-pressed olive oil
Heat oil in a pan and brown the beef cheeks on all sides, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a casserole pot. Peel and chop the onion and garlic, fry in the pan, then add to the pot. Add the bay leaves, dried mushrooms, allspice berries and juniper berries crushed with the flat of a knife. Pour in the kombucha, add the water and vinegar. Cover with a lid and braise in a preheated 150 °C oven for 4 hours or until the cheeks are tender. Half an hour before the end, add the lingonberries. Check the liquid level during cooking and add water or stock if needed. Remove the cheeks from the pot, add the cream to the sauce and heat through.
For the cauliflower steaks, cut the cauliflower into slices about 1 cm thick. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment, brush with oil and season with onion and garlic powder and salt. Roast in a preheated 200 °C oven for 15–20 minutes until the cauliflower is golden and tender.
Shred the meat with two forks and serve with the sauce and cauliflower steaks.
