Braised beef cheeks, smoked mash and roasted carrots

Name: Braised beef cheeks, smoked mash and roasted carrots
Total time: 5 h
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 500g beef cheek, trimmed; 500ml red wine; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 onions, diced; 1 leek, sliced; olive oil; 2 star anise; 1½ litres beef stock; 1 red onion, halved; a handful kale, shredded and blanched; (fingerlings or Yukon Gold can also be used) 500g Ratte potatoes, peeled and chunked; 100g unsalted smoked butter, diced; 100ml hot milk; 1 stick cinnamon; 5 juniper berries; 200ml carrot juice; 150g baby carrots, peeled

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time5 hrs
- + marinating
A little effort
Serves 2

Ingredients

500g beef cheek, trimmed
500ml red wine
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 onions, diced
1 leek, sliced
olive oil
2 star anise
1½ litres beef stock
1 red onion, halved
a handful kale, shredded and blanched
(fingerlings or Yukon Gold can also be used) 500g Ratte potatoes, peeled and chunked
100g unsalted smoked butter, diced
100ml hot milk
1 stick cinnamon
5 juniper berries
200ml carrot juice
150g baby carrots, peeled

Method

STEP 1
Put the beef, wine carrot, onion and leek in a dish, cover and chill overnight.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Remove the beef, pat dry, and season. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and brown the beef for 4 minutes on each side. Put in a casserole with the marinade, veg, star anise, and stock. Cover and cook in the oven for 4 hours until the cheeks are falling apart. Remove the cheeks, cover with foil to keep warm. Strain the sauce into a pan, simmer until thickened.
STEP 3
Turn the oven up to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Rub the red onion halves with oil, season and put cut-side down on a baking tray. Roast for 20-30 minutes.
STEP 4
To make the smoked mash, cook the potato chunks in boiling salted water for 15 minutes until very tender. Drain and steam dry for a minute. Mash using a ricer or fine masher. Add the butter and stir until melted, add the hot milk, mixing until you have a spoonable mash. Season.
STEP 5
For the carrots, toast the spices in a pan, add the carrot juice and carrots, cover and cook for 10 minutes, swirling the pan regularly, until tender. Take off the lid, remove the spices and cook until the liquid has reduced and coats the carrots.
STEP 6
Gently reheat the mash then spoon onto two warm plates. Add the beef, carrots and a little kale. Reheat the sauce and spoon over.
Recipe from The Truscott Arms, Maida Vale, London