Beef cheeks and quinoa
SERVES 4-6 | 15 MINS PREP | 3HRS 30 MINS COOK TIME
INGREDIENTS
1kg beef cheeks, lightly trimmed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 sticks celery, strings removed with a vegetable peeler and sliced
- 1 Tbsp white flour
- 1 orange, finely grated zest and juice
- 500ml beef stock (or half stock, half water)
- 2 bay leaves
1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable stock
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Rub the beef cheeks with 1 tablespoon of oil and place in the hot pan in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Brown on both sides, then place in a casserole dish as you go.
Lower the heat under the pan, add the remaining oil and then the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften – about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook until lightly coloured.
Stir in the orange zest and juice and pour in the stock. Add the bay leaves.
Bring to the boil then transfer to the casserole dish with the beef cheeks.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover and place in the oven and cook for 3 hours until the beef cheeks are very tender.
If the sauce needs thickening, remove the beef cheeks from the oven for 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Make a paste using 25g of softened butter and 25g of flour. Whisk into the sauce so that it thickens. Return beef cheeks to the oven to finish cooking.
Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and run under cold water to rinse.
Transfer to a heavy-based saucepan, cover with the water or stock and place over medium heat. Bring up to the boil, then cover and lower the heat.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Using a fork to keep the quinoa light and fluffy, transfer the quinoa to a bowl and drizzle with the lime or lemon juice and oil.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and fork through the parsley.
Serve the beef cheeks with the quinoa and a bowl of steamed greens.
Recipe and image thanks to recipes.co.nz
