C is for.........

Coriander, Chocolate, Carrot, Chive, Cheese… All great ingredients that begin with C. The list is endless and the choice is so varied. But the C that I realized was my favourite ingredient was “Cheek”. Whether it’s beef cheek or pig cheek (and to some extent the cheeks from fish), cheek is an absolutely superb ingredient. 

Braised slowly in red wine with a myriad of herbs and spices, it was served simply atop mustard mash with a sauce made from the braising liquor. The flavour was intense and the meat literally fell apart in my mouth. The collagen (part of the cheek) had cooked to a point where it gave up its structural duties.  Put simply, it was delicious and unlike anything I had tried.
Not long after, I encountered beef cheeks. Slow braised beef cheeks with simple plain mashed potato were like pig cheeks, but a whole lot tenderer. Cooked for over 12 hours – again, in order to break down the collagen – it was then left to rest in the liquor overnight. The cooking liquor was subsequently reduced to a thick, flavoursome sauce. Finally, when everything was ready, the beef cheeks were reheated in the sauce and served with a simple, creamy mashed potato.

In my opinion, braised cheeks are a much underutilized dish. I cannot think of anything better on a cold evening than tucking into soft braised beef or pork cheeks with a helping of creamy mashed potato and rich, succulent jus.
When I look back, it seems that many of my ‘firsts’ came at the time when I was working at the hotel in  Henley.  We had a braised Venison Osso Bucco on the menu (served with celeriac and a beetroot ice cream). Up until now, I had experienced the confit process of cooking meats (cooking slowly in lots of fat) but braising – this added a whole different dimension. Flavour could be packed into the liquor used for braising the meat, and then this liquor could be reduced to make a rich, unctuous sauce. This worked well with numerous ingredients such as duck legs, short ribs and lamb shanks. Then I was introduced to Pork Cheeks!

So, if you ever get the opportunity to try some beef or pork cheeks, I implore you to do so.  Unfortunately, beef cheek has undergone somewhat of a renaissance in the last few years and therefore are not as cheap as they used to be. However, they are still a much cheaper alternative to the more expensive cuts of meat that most of us are familiar with.

As a small catering company, we have the ability to source our ingredients specifically to fit each function we do. If you are thinking of having a Birthday or Dinner Party in the Weymouth, Portland, Dorchester or surrounding area then please contact us. Your guests would be sure to enjoy a dish of soft melting pork cheeks with celeriac (another awesome C ingredient!) and caramelised apple.

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