Ingredients

• 2 beef cheeks
• fully trimmed
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 500ml/18fl oz full-flavoured amber ale
• such as Riggwelter
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 litres/3½ pints beef stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small white onions
• peeled
• 500ml/18fl oz full-flavoured amber ale
• such as Riggwelter
• 1 lemon
• cut in half
• 4 sticks salsify
• scrubbed
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• lightly crushed
• 200g/7oz pearl barley
• soaked in cold water for 1 hour then drained
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
• 100g/3½oz fresh flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 25g/1oz Parmesan
• finely grated
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 beef stock cube
• crumbled
• to serve

Directions

• For the beer-braised beef cheeks
• place the beef cheeks into a large bowl then add the garlic
• bay leaf and thyme sprigs and pour over the ale to cover. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 6 hours
• or overnight.
• Once marinated
• preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
• Lift the beef cheeks from the marinade and cut each of them in half. (Reserve the marinade.)
• Heat the vegetable oil in an flameproof casserole over a medium to high heat. Add the marinated beef cheeks and fry for a few minutes on each side until browned on both sides. Pour the reserved marinade into the casserole
• add the beef stock and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
• Cover the casserole with aluminium foil
• then braise in the oven for 6 hours
• or until the beef cheeks are very tender and the volume of liquid has reduced and thickened. Alternatively
• cook the beef cheeks in the slow cooker (set to a low heat) for 12 hours or overnight.
• When the beef cheeks are cooked
• remove them from the sauce using a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the sauce to the boil
• then reduce the heat until the sauce is simmering. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the garnish
• bring the onions and ale to the boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering
• then simmer gently for 45 minutes
• or until the onions are tender all the way through. Set the pan aside to allow the contents to cool.
• Prepare acidulated water by filling a bowl with cold water and adding the lemon halves to it.
• Peel the salsify and cut into 5cm/2in batons. Add each baton to the acidulated water straight away to stop it from browning.
• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Drain the salsify and lemons
• add the salsify to the boiling water
• then squeeze the juice from one of the lemon halves into the water. Reduce the heat until the water is simmering and simmer the salsify for 8-10 minutes
• or until just tender – check how tender it is by piercing it with the tip of a knife. Drain well and set aside.
• For the pearl barley risotto
• place the garlic and pearl barley into a heavy-based saucepan and just cover it with chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 10-12 minutes
• or until the pearl barley is tender.
• Blend the parsley and 125ml/4½fl oz of the remaining chicken stock to a very fine purée in a food processor – this will take a good while.
• Pour the parsley purée into the pan containing the cooked pearl barley
• then stir in the cream and Parmesan until heated through. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• then cover the pan and remove from the heat (this will prevent the parsley from losing its colour).
• For the garnish
• heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat until foaming. Add the halved onions and fry for 3-4 minutes
• or until just golden-brown. Add the blanched salsify and fry for a further 3-4 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• Just before serving
• return the beef cheeks to the sauce and warm through.
• To serve
• spoon some of the pearl barley risotto into the centre of each plate. Place one piece of beef cheek on top of each portion. Add a pinch of beef stock cube to each beef cheek. Separate out the petals of the onions and arrange them around the edge of each plate. Serve the salsify alongside.