Braised Beef with Roast Garlic Mash Ask your local butcher for beef cheeks as you will not find them in the supermarkets. Either get them to trim them down for you or else do it yourself, removing the top flap of meat as well as the silverskin from the bottom. They really are the most tender meat you’ll ever have tasted!

Serves 4 4 tbsp olive oil 4 x 250g (9oz) pieces beef cheek, well trimmed 2 carrots, cut into chunks 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 600ml (1 pint) red wine 1.2 litres (2 pints) beef stock 2 fresh thyme sprigs 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 150g (5oz) piece smoked bacon, rind removed and diced 150g (5oz) baby button mushrooms, wiped For the Roasted Garlic Mash 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled 2 tbsp sunflower oil 900g (2lb) potatoes, cut into cubes 50g (2oz) butter about 2 tbsp milk Maldon sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 160C (325F), Gas mark 3. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large casserole dish. Add the pieces of beef cheek and brown all over doe 4-5 minutes, turning regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the casserole, reduce the heat a little and add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes until golden brown, stirring.

Return the beef cheeks and any juices to the casserole and pour over the red wine and beef stock. Add the herbs and season to taste, then bring to the boil. Cover tightly with foil and a lid. Bake for 3 hours until the beef cheeks are meltingly tender. Carefully remove the beef cheeks from the braising juices and leave to rest on a warmed plate. Strain the cooking juices into a pan and reduce down on a rapid simmer for 40-45 minutes until reduced by a quarter. Reserve the vegetables with the beef cheeks, covered in foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make the roasted garlic mash. Place the garlic and the oil in a small frying pan and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until the garlic cloves are completely tender but not coloured. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Place the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until completely tender. Drain the potatoes, and mash until smooth, then beat in the butter and add enough milk to make a smooth puree. Squeeze out the pulp from the cooled garlic cloves and mash with a fork. Beat in until evenly combined, season to taste and keep warm.

Meanwhile, reheat the large non-stick frying pan. Add the remaining oil and sauté the bacon and mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Drain off the oil and stir into the reduced down braising juices. Season to taste.

Place a couple of spoonfuls of the roasted garlic mash into each wide-rimmed bowl and carefully arrange the cooked beef cheeks on top. Ladle over the braising juice with smoked bacon and mushrooms. Garnish with the parsley to serve. Casserole Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large casserole dish. Add 4 x 250g (9oz) well trimmed pieces of beef cheek brown all over for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the casserole, reduce the heat a little and add: 2 carrots, cut into chunks 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed Cook for a further 5 minutes until golden brown, stirring. Return the beef cheeks and any juices to the casserole and pour over: 600ml (1 pint) red wine 1.2 litres (2 pints) beef stock 2 fresh thyme sprigs 2 fresh rosemary sprigs season to taste Bring to the boil. Cover tightly with foil and a lid. Bake in an oven preheated to 160C (325F), Gas mark 3 for 3 hours.

TIMEPASS 3 hours have passed

Casserole Show a cooked casserole - the beef cheeks are meltingly tender. Carefully remove the beef cheeks from the braising juices leave to rest on a warmed plate covered with foil. Strain cooking juices into a pan and reduce down on a rapid simmer for 40-45 minutes until reduced by a quarter.

TIMEPASS sauce is almost finished reducing. Beef cheeks under foil on plate.

Casserole Meanwhile heat a large non-stick frying pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté: 150g (5oz) diced rindless smoked bacon 150g (5oz) wiped button mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Drain oil off and stir into the reduced down braising juices. Season to taste.

Mash Show 900g (2lb) cubed potatoes which have been cooked in a large pan of boiling salted water, covered & simmered for 10-12 minutes until completely tender and drained. mash until smooth and beat in: 50g (2oz) butter about 2 tbsp milk to make a smooth puree.

Garlic Show 8 unpeeled garlic cloves & 2 tbsp sunflower oil which have been cooked in a small frying pan over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until the garlic cloves are completely tender but not coloured. They were then removed from the heat and set aside to cool.

Squeeze the pulp from the cooled garlic cloves into the mash beat until evenly combined. Season to taste.

Serve Place a couple of spoonfuls of the roasted garlic mash into each wide-rimmed bowl carefully arrange the cooked beef cheeks on top. Ladle over the braising juice with smoked bacon and mushrooms. Garnish with chopped parsley.