Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks. For those cooler nights, these comforting Asian-style, slow-cooked beef cheeks are just the ticket.
Serves 4-6
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp peanut oil
800g beef cheeks, trimmed
¾ cup soy sauce
1 cup rice wine
1¼ cups brown sugar
5cm piece ginger, sliced
2 dried red chillies
2 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pieces dried mandarin peel
20cm piece daikon, peeled, cut into chunks
4-6 whole baby bok choy, trimmed
steamed rice, to serve
Combine mushrooms and 1½ cups boiling water. Soak 30 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserve liquid. Trim stems.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beef cheeks. Cook, turning, 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Combine mushroom liquid, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, ginger, chillies, star anise, cinnamon and mandarin peel in a large pan. Bring to the boil; add beef cheeks. Simmer, covered, on lowest heat, turning occasionally, for 3 hours or until almost tender. Add mushrooms and daikon. Simmer, covered, 1 hour or until beef is tender. Add bok choy; simmer 2 minutes.
Remove beef and pull into chunks. Add back to pan. Serve on steamed rice.
TIPS
– This dish can also be cooked in a slow cooker. It will take about 6-7 hours.
– Dried mandarin peel is widely used in Chinese cooking. Its subtle fragrance will enhance savoury and sweet dishes.
