Preparation time
overnight
Cooking time
over 2 hours
Serves
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 small beef cheeks, trimmed
- 500ml/18fl oz red wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 shallots, halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700ml/1¼ pint good beef stock
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 55g/2oz honey
- ½ orange, finely grated zest only
- 1 quince, peeled, cored and quartered
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mash
- 2 large Desirée potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
- 75ml/2½fl oz double cream
- 20g/¾oz unsalted butter, cubed
- 100ml/3½fl oz Arbequina or other fresh, grassy olive oil
Method
-
Put the beef cheeks in a dish and top with the wine, bay, garlic and shallots. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.
-
Remove the beef cheeks and set aside. Pour the marinade into a casserole dish and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by three-quarters.
-
Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
-
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a high heat. Brown the beef cheeks for 4 minutes on each side, or until caramelised.
-
Transfer the cheeks to the reduced marinade and pour in the stock. Add the cinnamon, cloves and honey and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for about 2 hours. Skim the surface every so often to remove any fat.
-
Add the zest and quince and cook for a further 1 hour or until the cheeks and quince are soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Meanwhile, to make the mash, cook the potatoes in lightly salted water for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, then pass through a sieve or vegetable mill.
-
Gently heat the cream in a saucepan, then pour it into the potatoes. Fold in the butter and Arbequina olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
-
To serve, divide the cheeks and quince between four plates. Add a spoonful of mash and pour over the sauce.
