| "Beef cheeks?" I asked, staring at the menu. "What | | | | cloves garlic4 medium-to-large carrots4 stalks celery1 |
| are beef cheeks?"I'm afraid that the first time I | | | | small onionThymeRosemary1 bay leafOlive |
| encountered this item on a menu in a fancy | | | | oilSaltCoarsely ground black pepperDirections 1. Roast |
| Manhattan restaurant, I reacted like the stereotypical | | | | beef bones in oven for about 15 minutes.2. Mince 1 |
| dumb yokel come to the big city for the first | | | | clove of garlic. Chop 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks. |
| time.That was a few years ago, and I've since | | | | Place these with the bay leaf into a large pot. Add |
| learned that many people (Texans, who don't like to | | | | enough water to cover well, and begin simmering.3. |
| let any part of a cow go to waste, come to mind) | | | | Add the roasted beef bones and more water to |
| are quite familiar with beef cheek. Also, that beef | | | | cover. Bring pot to a slow boil, cooking for 1 hour. |
| cheek means just that--the cheek part of a cow's | | | | Check periodically and add water as necessary to |
| head.The one I had that evening in New York was | | | | keep liquid from boiling away.4. Remove the beef |
| delicious, so I vowed to try cooking it at home. At | | | | bones and bay leaf from the pot. What remains in |
| that time, though, it wasn't easy to find beef cheeks | | | | the pot is your stock.5. Salt and pepper the beef |
| in very many places, certainly not in the stores | | | | cheek.6. Chop the onion and the remaining carrots |
| where I was then living. Nowadays it's somewhat | | | | and celery, mince the remaining clove of garlic, and |
| easier, and even the big discount club stores | | | | saute all of these in olive oil with good dashes of |
| occasionally have them for sale.Beef cheek can be | | | | rosemary and thyme, until onion turns translucent.7. |
| quite tough, and many folks won't have the patience | | | | Add the sauteed ingredients to the stock pot, stir |
| it takes to cook it as it should be cooked. But I | | | | thoroughly, and then add in the beef cheek.8. Braise |
| promise that if you persevere, you will be rewarded | | | | for at least 1 hour. Test with a fork to see if the |
| with an excellent dish of meat . In fact, you may find | | | | beef is tender. If not, continue braising until it is. |
| it to be among the "sweetest beef" you've ever | | | | Remember, it's important that the beef cheek be |
| tasted.The most traditional way of cooking beef | | | | quite tender before serving.9. Serve beef and stock |
| cheek is to braise it, although I've seen it in all sorts | | | | together.Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining |
| of other recipes. Here's a good braised beef cheeks | | | | columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. |
| recipe; note that it also calls for beef bones for | | | | Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly |
| making a stock.Ingredients Beef bonesBeef cheek2 | | | | duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? |