Spitfire-braised ox cheek with mash, red cabbage and English mustard clotted cream
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- A little effort
- Serves 6
- 1.5kg ox cheektrimmed
- oil
- 1 carrotpeeled and diced
- 1 leeksliced
- 1 oniondiced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 500ml (or use any golden ale) Spitfire ale
- 1 litre beef stock
- 1 red onion
- 1 red cabbage
- 150ml balsamic vinegar
- 50g recurrant jelly
- 30g butter
- to serve mashed potatoes
Mustard clotted cream
- 200g clotted cream
- 20g English mustard
- chopped to make 1 tsp thyme leaves
- kcal615
- fat34g
- saturates18.2g
- carbs26.9g
- fibre5.1g
- protein44.1g
- salt0.9g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Fry the ox cheek in 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat. When browned, remove from the pan and add the vegetables, bay leaves and thyme. When all the vegetables are golden (about 8 minutes), add the ale and scrape away any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the ox cheeks back and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the stock, bring back to the boil, and cover with foil or a tightly fitting lid. Slow-cook in the oven for 4-5 hours, until very tender. Turn the meat every 2 hours while cooking.
step 2
Slice the onion and red cabbage very finely and put them in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage looks shiny and sticky.
step 3
Mix the clotted cream and English mustard. Add the thyme and whisk for 20-30 seconds by hand, until it’s mixed and a little foamy. Chill for at least 1 hour.
step 4
When the meat is ready, remove from the sauce. Reduce the sauce, if it needs it, to make a light gravy.Add the cheeks back to the pan.
step 5
Serve the mash at the bottom of your dishes with the cabbage and ox cheek on top and spoon over some cooking liquor. Serve with the mustard clotted cream.