Name: Braised ox cheeks
Total time: 6 h
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 4 (about 1kg in total) ox cheeks; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; a small bunch spring onions, cut into chunks; a thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced (no need to peel); 4 cloves garlic, bashed; 2 red chillies, split; 150ml mirin; 100ml light soy sauce; 50g soft light brown sugar; 2 star anise; ½ cinnamon stick; 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns; 3 cloves; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 500-700ml beef stock; 1-2 tsp (optional) rice vinegar

4 (about 1kg in total) ox cheeks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
a small bunch spring onions
cut into chunks
a thumb-sized piece ginger
sliced (no need to peel)
4 cloves garlic
bashed
2 red chillies
split
150ml mirin
100ml light soy sauce
50g soft light brown sugar
2 star anise
½ cinnamon stick
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
3 cloves
2 tsp fennel seeds
500-700ml beef stock
1-2 tsp (optional) rice vinegar

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Pat dry the ox cheeks with kitchen paper, trim away any sinew or fat and season with salt. Heat the oil in a casserole and sear the ox cheeks in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and seared. Set aside.
step 2
Add the spring onions, ginger, garlic and chilli to the casserole (or, to use a slow cooker, see cook’s notes, below), stir for 1-2 minutes until they take on some colour, then stir in the mirin, soy, sugar and whole spices. Bring to a simmer, and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Nestle the seared ox cheeks back into the pan and top up with just enough beef stock to cover the meat. Cover with foil, put on the lid, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 5 hours until the beef is meltingly tender.
step 3
Remove the meat from the braise, and strain the remaining liquid into another pan to remove the whole spices and aromatics. Set over a low flame and bubble until thickened to a sauce. Shred the meat and stir back into the sauce. Check for seasoning, and add a pinch of extra sugar or a dash of rice vinegar to balance, if needed. Stir into wide noodles, spoon into steamed buns or simply serve over steamed rice with some pickles.