In NZ the phrase "being cheeky" means being smart or sassy in a nice, teasing way. But here at Struan Farm we're giving this phrase new meaning--I've recently discovered beef cheeks. Much of the thanks goes to MasterChef Australia, where I've watched many contestants slow roast them to rave reviews and tasty effect.
I was able to find them at Magills Butchery in nearby Te Awamutu. They are a very inexpensive cut of meat and easy to prepare, but like lamb shanks take lots of time to cook down. I was prompted to try them after finding an interesting recipe in the winter issue of Donna Hay Magazine (#87). The cheeks are trimmed and seared, after which caramelised aromatics (celery, carrot, garlic) are combined with stock, port, sherry vinegar, bay leaf, onion marmalade and tomato paste. Everything is then tossed into a crockpot or lidded casserole dish in the oven for three hours or so, by which point the meat is falling apart. The sauce is strained to serve over over the meat. I did my cooking in the oven since I love an excuse to use my amazing Le Creuset casserole dish, purchased with Fly Buys points!
The original recipe serves the meat and sauce with polenta. I've served it with mashed potatoes. The dish is delicious, we can confirm that beef cheeks are definitely worth a try.
Continuing on the cheeky front, my next challenge was to try to find lamb cheeks here in NZ. Friend Lisa Blum raved about having them at one of the many high end restaurants she frequents in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have never seen them here and have now discovered why. Magills has told me that most abattoirs don't bother to process this cut for human consumption in NZ. Never one to shrink from a good challenge, I contacted Chef Peter Gordon (who writes a weekly column in the Herald's "Bite" food magazine), Silver Fern Farms, and Beef + Lamb NZ to see if I could find any. Beef + Lamb NZ directed me to a Wellington based processor, Taylor Preston, who sells frozen lamb cheeks to the hospitality sector and for export.
My cheeky persistence has paid off: a carton of lamb cheeks will be on its way to Piopio shortly, hooray! Stay tuned for my next experiment.
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