SICILIAN BEEF CHEEK…

SICILIAN BEEF CHEEK

For next level flavour I recommend brining meats, with the exception of steaks!
Here is a cheeky brine recipe I have used for hearty beef cuts that need slow cooking.

For the cheeks I like to cook them sous vide, which does require some specific equipment, but if you invest in the bits it is an awesome way to cook.

Sicily is renowned for its use of oranges in cooking hence the orange peel. I will finish this recipe with a squeeze of OJ in the sauce and some zest microplaned over the top. It pairs really well with a soft polenta and salsa verde (recipes to follow) for the real deal Italian experience, however any starch and veg will do.

Enjoy!


#proofofwork: 12 hour brine, 14 hours cook time, 20 minutes preparation.

YIELD: 2/3 servings depending on the cheek size. Cheeks can average about 300-400g

INGREDIENTS


1 kg Beef cheek, cleaned

500ml Water

150ml Red wine

10 g Castor sugar

20 g Salt

2 ea Black peppercorns, whole

2 ea Bay leaves

2 ea Garlic cloves, whole and smashed

2 sprig Oregano, fresh

1 ea Carrots

1/2 ea Brown onion



METHOD

Place all ingredients(except beef cheek) into a large pot and place on low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from the heat and allow the liquid to cool. Once cooled, pour over the beef cheek until covered and leave in the brine, in a fridge for 12 hours. After brining remove the cheek from the liquid.

When the cheeks have been brined place them in a vacuum bag with a clove of garlic (smashed with the fat part of your knife blade), one bay leaf, 1 black peppercorn, one sprig of oregano. I also like to take a peeler and peel off some orange zest and pop that in too. #yumstr!

Seal the bag with a vacuum sealer and then drop it into a water bath with the immersion circulator set to 72C. Cook for 14 hours.


When cooked, pop open the bag and put the cheek and juices in a pan and reduce the sauce by half. Add some sugo (slow cooked tomato sauce), season with salt and pepper and serve.



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