Ingredients

• 2 ox cheeks
• trimmed and halved
• 3–4 tbsp plain flour
• for dusting
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot
• chopped
• 1 leek
• chopped
• 250ml/9fl oz red wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp yeast extract (such as Marmite)
• 1 litre/1¾ pint beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves picked
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 30g/1oz butter
• 1 swede
• chopped into cubes and blanched
• 30g/1oz honey
• 2 large apples
• peeled and cut into cubes
• salt and cracked black pepper
• 300g/10½oz cooked mashed potato
• warmed
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• chopped
• 1 tbsp chives
• chopped

Directions

• For the ox cheeks
• preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.
• Dust the ox cheeks with flour. Heat a casserole or an ovenproof pan and add the oil. Once hot
• brown the ox cheeks then remove and set aside. Put all vegetables
• wine
• tomato purée and marmite in the casserole and fry until softened. Return the ox cheeks and cover with stock. Add the thyme
• bay leaves and peppercorns
• cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours
• or until the beef is tender.
• Once the beef is cooked
• remove the casserole from the oven and pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve. Transfer to a clean pan and reduce until the volume of liquid has reduced to a rich sauce.
• For the apples and swede
• heat a large frying pan or a sauté pan and add half the butter. Once the butter is foaming
• add the swede and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the apples and the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the apples and swede are tender.
• To serve
• spoon the mash into a large piping bag and pipe swirls of the mash onto serving plates. Add a piece of beef to each plate. Spoon the apple and swede on top
• scatter over chopped parsley and chives. Serve with the sauce.