How To Cook Ox Cheek with Roast Beetroot & Horseradish

Name: How To Cook Ox Cheek with Roast Beetroot & Horseradish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 4

10 mins
4 hours
medium
4

Recipe by

Jeff Baker

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ROAST BEETROOT
Half a dozen fresh beetroots, mixed variety if possible (scrubbed, not peeled)
2 tbls. Schmaltz, beef dripping or oil
8 cloves garlic unpeeled
Sea salt to taste
Few sprigs thyme
INGREDIENTS FOR THE HORSERADISH SAUCE
100g crème fraiche
30g horseradish cream
10g English mustard
Juice & zest half lemon
INGREDIENTS FOR THE OX CHEEK
1 kg trimmed ox cheeks
A little beef dripping, schmaltz or oil
2 onions
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
6 cloves garlic
Sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cracked black peppercorns
6 cracked juniper berries
1 bottle dark ale or stout
400 ml Beef stock / broth
2 tbls. Balsamic vinegar
1 tbls. Tomato puree
1 tbls. Dijon mustard
1 tbls. Corn flour mixed with a little cold water

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Introduction

Winter crop beetroots (famed for aphrodisiac qualities) are a real joy in the pro kitchen, pairing so well with both dark meats, oily fish or simply featuring as the centrepiece to many winter salads. Here we're roasting them with chicken fat for a deep, aromatic roast enhanced with garlic to complement the sweet earthy flavours. They’re many varieties to choose from, bulls blood, candy & golden are three of my favourites to use. Paired alongside seasonal fresh horseradish its one of the great combinations of winter cooking.

Method

This recipe is inspired by our brilliant and handy seasonal eating guide. Download for yourself here.

ox cheek with roast beetroot & horseradish recipe ingredients

Preheat oven to 180°c fan assisted or 200°c without a fan (gas 6).
Toss the beetroots and garlic in the schmaltz and sprinkle with a little sea salt and thyme.
Place in a deep roasting tin just large enough to hold the beetroots then cover tightly with foil.
Roast for 1 hour or until the beets are tender when pierced with a skewer, whilst still warm peel the beets and slice into wedges and reserve.
When ready to serve, sauté the beetroot in a hot pan with a little schmaltz, beef dripping or oil of your choice until nicely browned, season with sea salt.

Whilst the beets are roasting make the sauce, simply stir together the mustard, horseradish, crème fraiche and lemon together, season with sea salt to taste and reserve.

Preheat your oven to 150°C /130°C fan assisted (gas 2).
Remove your cheeks from the packaging and pat dry before cooking.
Make a Mirepoix by neatly chopping equal amounts of the onion, carrot and celery, plus the spices and herbs.
Season the meat with sea salt before searing in a little beef dripping or schmaltz in a casserole dish over high heat until brown then keep the meat to one side.
In the same dish fry the Mirepoix until lightly coloured, add the vinegar and puree then a bottle of ale and reduce by two thirds then add 400 ml of beef stock and reduce a little, thicken with a tablespoon corn flour mixed with a little cold water and stirred into the boiling sauce then add the meat to the casserole (for additional flavour add a few drops Worcester sauce).
Cover and place in the centre of the oven and cook for 3½ hours or until the meat is tender when pierced with a skewer.
Remove from oven and pass off the juices through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and reduce to rich, glossy gravy then pour back over the cheeks.

Place a cheek into a warm serving bowl, cover with the rich gravy then scatter around the sautéed beetroot and finely grate fresh horseradish over the dish, serving the horseradish sauce on the side. This also goes well with rich buttery mashed potatoes and winter kale!