Beer-braised ox cheek stew by Brighton chef Phil Bartley

Who doesn’t love a hearty, winter dinner after a long day’s work?

The ideal dinner really. You can (and should) also make it a day ahead because the flavour improves the longer it sits.

It’s as easy as doing the prep, leaving to braise for the day and coming back to a juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, meaty dinner with minimal fuss!

This family favourite is the ultimate cold weather comfort food and was made to be paired with carbs!

It takes some time to make but it’s well worth the effort and is a one-pot meal that feeds a crowd.

You can enjoy this dish at Hove Place with a glass of full-bodied red wine and you’ll be converted to making it a regular dinner to feed the fam.

The ox cheek is of course sourced locally but pop in and ask your local butcher.

This recipe will serve four comfortably.

Ingredients:

100g beef fat

3kg beef cheeks trimmed & portioned into 200g pieces

2 carrots

2 large banana shallots

4 cloves of garlic

100g smoked streaky bacon into 2cm lardons

1 pint of dark, local bitter

1 pint of good quality beef stock

Method

1. First, preheat the oven to 120°C.

2. Now, grab a pan and sear the beef cheeks on all sides until nice and brown.

3. Pour off any excess fat, this makes a lovely topping for toast or to use on your roast potatoes.

4. Using the same pan, sweat the shallots, carrots, garlic and bacon.

5. Get a nice deep heavy roasting dish, preferably with a lid.

6. Pop all the ingredients back into the dish, cover with beer and stock.

7. Braise gently in the oven for around 3 to 4 hours.

8. When the cheeks are nice and soft take them out of the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes.

9. Grab a nice glass of Bordeaux ( Or Bolney pinot noir ! ) and tuck in.

We love this served simply with some sourdough bread or some dumplings.

Phil Bartley is a local chef and also runs The Great British Charcuterie. Phil’s food can be found at Hove Place, The Cricketers, The Cleveland Arms, and others around the city.