BEEF CHEEKS
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 beef cheeks, about 1 lb (500 g)
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, divided
1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 leek (white only), chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
6 each, black peppercorns, whole cloves and whole allspice
1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato purée
¾ cup (175 ml) full-bodied red wine
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
½ cup (125 ml) sultana raisins
½ cup (125 ml) Celery Root Purée
CELERY ROOT PURÉE:
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 lbs (700 g) peeled celery root cut into 1-in (2-cm) pieces
4 cups (1 L) milk
Instructions
- To make BEEF CHEEKS: Pre-heat oven to 325 F (160 C). Pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of oil, add beef cheeks and cook, in batches, turning halfway, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to pan and add vegetables and garlic. Cook until golden. Add thyme, peppercorns, cloves and allspice, stirring to combine with vegetables. Stir in tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour red wine into pan and stir, scraping bottom. Add beef cheeks and pour enough chicken stock to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and almost falling apart. Remove, let cool slightly and shred meat. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- Pour sauce into a fine mesh strainer set over a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, add raisins and cook until sauce has reduced by half.
- Place a pastry ring in middle of a plate and add Celery Root Purée. Add shredded cheeks and top with sauce. Serve with seasonal vegetables.
- To make CELERY ROOT PURÉE: Place garlic and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine to enclose. Place in a medium saucepan along with celery root and enough milk to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until celery root is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving ½ cup (125 ml) of milk and discarding cheesecloth bundle. Process celery root and milk in a blender in batches. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Drink Pairings
BRAISED PORK CHEEK WITH GRILLED ASPARAGUS
Ingredients
Serves 2
PORK BRINE:
¾ cup (175 ml) each of kosher salt and granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 tsp (5 ml) whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
20 star anise
½ head of garlic
BRAISED PORK CHEEK AND ASPARAGUS:
1 lb (500 g) fresh, natural fed pork cheek, cleaned of all silver skin
2 tsp + 1 tbsp (10 ml + 15 ml) olive oil, divided
¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 ml) medium-diced onion
¼ cup (60 ml) medium-diced carrot
¼ cup (60 ml) medium-diced celery
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 cups (1 L) ham or chicken stock
sherry vinegar to taste
16 large asparagus spears, trimmed
grainy mustard
fresh herbs, such as nasturtium, for garnish
Mustard Dressing, for dotting plate (optional)
MUSTARD DRESSING:
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard
2 oz (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 dash of rice wine vinegar
salt, to taste
Instructions
- To make PORK BRINE: Combine kosher salt and granulated sugar in a container large enough to hold 5 cups (1.25 L) of liquid and 1 lb (500 g) of meat. Add 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water to dissolve salt and sugar. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, sprigs of thyme, star anise and garlic. Add remaining cold water to yield 5 cups (1.25 L) total and stir in. Chill brine before adding pork. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Brine cheeks overnight, then remove from brine and place on a towel. Let dry in fridge for minimum 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 285 F (140 C). Heat 2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil in a medium ovenproof saucepan. Lightly dust pork cheek with flour and brown gently, remove meat and add diced vegetables and garlic and sweat over medium heat just until softened, a couple of minutes. Add ham or chicken stock and deglaze pan.
- Add pork cheeks to stock. Cover and slow braise in oven for about 1½ hours or until pork is tender. Remove from oven and allow meat to cool in stock. Then remove meat and pat dry with paper towel.
- Strain stock and return to saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until reduced to about 1 cup (250 ml) and thickened to a glazing consistency, about 30 minutes. Taste and add a splash of sherry vinegar, to taste.
- To make MUSTARD DRESSING: Whisk together egg yolk and Dijon mustard, while streaming in extra-virgin olive oil. When thickened add a dash of rice wine vinegar and salt, to taste.
- Shortly before serving preheat grill and oil trimmed asparagus with 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Add cheeks to reduced glaze and warm through.
- Meanwhile, grill asparagus lightly on preheated grill. Remove and brush lightly with grainy mustard.
- Serve pork cheeks with grilled asparagus alongside and a little extra reduced glaze drizzled over top. Finish plate with dollops of Mustard Dressing on plate, if desired.
Drink Pairings
BEEF WELLINGTON SERVED WITH MERLOT SAUCE
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
TENDERLOIN WITH MUSHROOMS DUXELLES
2 to 2½ lbs (1 to 1.25 kg) centre-cut beef tenderloin, about 7-in x 3½-in (18 x 9 cm) olive oil, to grease pan
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter
3 cups (750 ml) button mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 sprig thyme
⅓ cup (75 ml) port or dry sherry, to deglaze pan
8 thin slices Parma ham or prosciutto
PASTRY
1 x 500 g package puff pastry, 2 sheets
¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour, divided
3 egg yolks, divided
MERLOT SAUCE
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) diced celery
1 cup (250 ml) peeled and diced carrots
1 cup (250 ml) diced sweet onions
2 cups (500 ml) Merlot
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
2 sprigs each, fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 F (220 C). Place tenderloin in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Generously season with salt and black pepper. Roast in centre of oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 130 F (54 C) when inserted into centre. Remove pan and rest at room temperature until pan is slightly cooled. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- For Mushroom Duxelles, place chopped mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until mushrooms are finely minced but not puréed. Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until mushrooms have released liquid and are starting to cook dry. Deglaze pan with port and raise heat to high to evaporate liquid. Remove from heat and discard thyme. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to bowl, cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be refrigerated for several days.
- Lay a couple of overlapped sheets of plastic wrap on a clean surface. Overlap Parma ham or prosciutto slices in a row down centre. Spread half the Duxelles in an even layer over top of ham or prosciutto. Place cooled tenderloin crosswise over top and spread with remaining Duxelles. Draw edges of plastic wrap together over top of meat to tightly encase tenderloin in ham or prosciutto. Twist ends of wrap to tightly seal. Refrigerate while rolling out pastry.
- To make Pastry, lightly dust work surface with a little flour. Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap tightly around tenderloin with a slight overlap to seal. Brush edges of pastry with 2 egg yolks whisked with 1 tsp (5 ml) water. Reserve extra. Remove plastic wrap from beef and place in centre of pastry. Carefully gather up edges and firmly wrap beef in pastry. Then press seams and ends together to tightly seal. Place seamside down on a work surface. Set aside.
- Add a little more flour to clean work surface. Roll out second sheet of pastry into a rectangle slightly larger than the first. Cut out shapes and designs with a sharp paring knife. Brush with egg yolk mixture and arrange cut-outs decoratively over top of pastry-wrapped tenderloin.
- In a small dish, whisk remaining egg yolk. Lightly and evenly brush over entire surface of pastry to fully and evenly coat. Refrigerate uncovered for 45 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Bake tenderloin uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is deep golden and beef registers 140 to 155 F (60 to 68 C) on a meat thermometer when inserted into centre. Remove from oven and rest on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While tenderloin is baking, prepare Merlot Sauce. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add celery, carrots and sweet onions. Sauté over medium heat stirring occasionally until golden. Deglaze saucepan with Merlot. Add beef stock and sprigs of herbs and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes for flavours to blend. Strain and discard vegetables and herbs. Return sauce to pan. Boil vigorously until reduced by half. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover to keep warm.
- Once tenderloin has rested, transfer to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Serve with Merlot Sauce, steamed green beans and roasted carrots.