Braised Beef Cheek with Mushrooms and Coffee

Charmaine Lu -
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 800g beef cheeks, trimmed
  • 100g flour
  • 2 chopped carrots
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 500ml dark ale
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 750ml milk
  • 200g polenta
  • 100ml strong brewed coffee
  • 100g butter
  • 500g mixed wild mushrooms, torn
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • Chopped parsley
  • Preheat the oven to 160C. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a casserole and dust the beef cheeks in flour. Fry until brown all over, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the carrots, bay and onion to the casserole and fry until coloured. Add the beer, reduce by three-quarters, then return the meat to the pan with the stock.
  • Cover with the lid and pop in the oven to braise for 3.5 hours, then remove the meat and set aside on a plate. Pour the braising liquid through a sieve, then return to the pan and reduce by half. Return the meat to the pan, and simmer on low.
  • Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming, then add the polenta and whisk continuously as you cook for 5 mins. Add 50g butter and the coffee, season well, and keep stirring. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 5 mins before adding the parsley. Cut the beef cheeks into 4 equal pieces, then serve on top of a bed of polenta scattered with the mushrooms and drizzled in plenty of the sauce. Yum!
4 hrs
4 serving