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

3/23/2016

 
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. 

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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.

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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!

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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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