Ox Cheek

Ox cheek also referred to as beef cheek, is a cut of beef that comes from the cheek muscles of a cow. It has as rich and delicious a taste as oxtail so is a great option for stews and casseroles. Its full taste is usually because it’s an extremely strong and well-worked muscle over the cow’s lifetime. A long slow cook makes these cheeks tender.

Here is a nice recipe

Ingredients
50g butter
3 ox cheeks, trimmed of gristle and halved (from Waitrose or good butchers – see tip)
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with 1 tsp sea salt flakes
150g smoked bacon lardons
2 onions, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 tbsp tomato purée
1 bottle of good red wine
1½ tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas 2. In a flameproof casserole that will fit the wine and ox cheeks snugly and has a lid, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Roll the ox cheeks in the seasoned flour, then pat off any excess. When the butter sizzles, add the meat – it should sizzle as soon as it enters the casserole. Cook, turning, until well browned all over. (You may need to do this in batches.) Take care not to burn the butter.
3. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the lardons and fry until lightly coloured. Add the onions and the bay leaves and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are just soft. Stir in the garlic, then the tomato purée. Stir occasionally until the purée starts to catch the bottom of the pan, then cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the wine, then return the meat to the casserole. Bring the stew to barely a simmer, then cover and put in the oven. Cook for 5 hours or until the cheeks are tender when prodded with a cutlery knife. Turn the cheeks occasionally during cooking time.
5. Stir through the salt, then serve with mash and veg, if you like.