Ox Cheek or Beef Cheek is a really tasty piece of meat. Recently revived by some supermarkets they are readily available. Here's a recipe I've used cooking this very tough meat in a pressure cooker. Cooking it this way seals in the flavour and tenderizes it quickly.
* * *
Cut the carrot, onion and celery into a rough dice.
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, season the ox cheeks and fry them turning quickly to colour all over and seal them. Remove and keep to one side whilst you fry the vegetables to a golden colour.
Drain any excess oil place the cheeks back into the pressure cooker and add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and star anise. Pour in the red wine and top up with water.
Bring the pressure cooker up to pressure and cook for 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile remove the crusts from the sliced bread and cut into croutons. Squares about 1cm. Cook in butter until golden and drain on kitchen paper.
Turn off the heat and leave for 1 hour.
Open the cooker and take out the cheeks and place on a plate to keep warm.
Discard the star anise and bay leaves. Boil up the sauce and thicken with cornflour mixed with a little red wine.
Carve the cheeks and arrange with seasonal vegetables, spoon on the sauce and top with croutons.
* * *