Beef Cheeks: A Twist with Dark Beer
·Brown the meat and onion
Rinse the beef cheeks, pat dry and cut into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Sear in hot lard until nicely browned all over. Set the browned cheeks aside and fry the onion, cut into large dice, in the same fat.
Pour over the beer
Return the cheeks to the pot with the onion, along with any juices left on the plate. Pour in enough beer to fully cover the cheeks.
Braise
Add the spices and bring to the boil. Boil uncovered for about five minutes, then lower the heat, cover and braise until tender. This will take about three hours. Tip: next time I'll add a star of star anise too - it gives the sauce a really interesting flavour.
Reduce the sauce
Once done, remove the cheeks and keep them warm (for example in a pot, or in the oven set to 70°C). Strain the beer braising liquid and turn the heat up to full so it comes to a rapid boil.
Reduce by half
Boil the sauce down until it reaches the right flavour and consistency (about half the original volume). It should have a rich, slightly bitter taste.
Serving
Serve with mashed potatoes or parsnip purée.