Slow Cooked Ox Cheek Ragout
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 500g | 1.1 pounds Ox (beef) cheeks
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, cut into 2cm thick rounds
  • 1 tin anchovies
  • ¼ cup red wine or red wine vinegar
  • 500ml bone broth
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • rosemary
  • oregano
  • Butter or ghee, for cooking
Instructions
  1. Trim your ox cheek of any excess fat, pat dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a large casserole dish or heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add your butter, swirl around the pan, and once the pan is hot add the ox cheeks. Brown each side for about 1-2 minutes, then remove the cheeks and set aside.
  3. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and anchovies to the pan, adding more butter if necessary. Cook for 5 minutes, then add in the red wine or red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Note - this is what will get all the delicious flavours from the bottom of the pan!
  4. Return the meat to the pan and let simmer for 10-15 minutes before adding in the remainging ingredients.
  5. Now you can either finish the cooking in the oven or the stove top.
  6. Oven: place the lid on the casserole dish in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC | 400ºF and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours, turning the meat once halfway through.
  7. Stove: place the heavy based saucepan on the heat and partially cover. Cook for 3.5 - 4 hours, turning every hour or so and making sure the bottom isn’t burning. If necessary, add extra broth or water.
  8. The dish is done once the meat is so soft it shreds easily and is very soft. Serve hot, alongside some courgetti, pasta, rice or even mash.
Recipe by Sprinkle of Green at https://www.sprinkleofgreen.com/one-pot-dinner-ox-cheek-ragu