This is my Boxing Day 2016 recipe made for a friend who is not crazy over seafood but loves meat. Made in my French oven, I used beef cheeks, slow cooked over the fire for nearly 4 hours. The flavour is robust and the texture is tender, smooth and brisket-like. I served the beef pot roast with a simple farafelle pasta with basil pesto.
Recipe serves 4 to 6 persons
Ingredients
*1 kg beef chuck or beef cheek
*4 to 5 slices bacon, diced
*2 tabsp olive oil
*3 large onions, peeled, halved and sliced
*2 cups beef or chicken stock (I use Campbell’s Beef Stock which is 500ml, exactly 2 cups)
*1 tabsp Dijon mustard
*1 tabsp maple syrup
*1 tabsp balsamic vinegar
*1 tsp paprika or 1/2 tsp cayenne (for extra heat, I use 1/2 tsp peri-peri)
*1 tsp kosher salt
*1 tabsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pat the beef dry with paper towel, season with kosher salt and pepper.
2. Heat large French oven over medium heat (I used my 22cm Le Creuset) and fry bacon until some fat starts to render and bacon begin to brown.
3. Sear beef on all side and set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients to the beef stock.
5. Add additional 2 tabsp olive oil and fry onions till soften. Pour a little stock to loosen the grits at the bottom of the pot.
6. Return beef to the French oven and pour in the remaining stock mixture which should almost cover the meat. Bring stock to boil, then lower heat and cook covered for 3 hours for beef cheek or longer if need to. Check if meat is tender and falls apart if not, continue cooking till meat is tender.
7. Serve with mash potatoes, rice, noodles or bread.
Note: If you prefer less or no heat, adjust the amount of black pepper and peri peri in the stock.
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