Smiles for miles in a kitchen with heart

Brad’s winter warmer recipe is easy to make at home, and will have your mouth watering as the rich smells fill your kitchen. The beef cheeks are slowly braised until the meat is so tender it will melt in your mouth.

Braised beef cheeks with salsa verde

Ingredients

750ml bottle red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 beef cheeks, trimmed
2 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned, to dust
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2L (8 cups) good-quality beef stock
2 bay leaves
Mashed potato, to serve

Salsa Verde

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons each Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and rinsed, salted capers

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the wine in a pan and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Set aside. Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Dust beef in flour, shaking off excess. Brown beef, in batches, for 2 minutes each side, adding more oil if necessary. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic, then return beef to pan. Add reduced wine, stock and bay leaves, then season. The meat should be completely covered with liquid, so top up with water if necessary. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender.
3. Meanwhile, to make the salsa verde, place the ingredients in a blender and blend to form a smooth paste. Season to taste.
4. Transfer beef to a plate, then cover with foil to keep warm. Place casserole over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve the beef with the sauce, mashed potato and salsa verde.

Meet RetireAustralia’s Chefs

As Head Chef at Belrose Country Club, Brad Milligan has been treating residents to delicious food for over 17 years. While Brad loves a good practical joke with his work mates, it’s his passion for cooking that has created countless more smiles among the Belrose community. Brad balances his work and home life to spend time with his 10 year old twin boys, but says it’s equally important to create delicious wholesome meals for his RA Family.

Brad’s proudest moment in the kitchen was cooking a traditional Christmas dinner for 150 residents, complemented by his famous Christmas pudding drizzled with brandy custard. As he says, “the best part of my day is putting smiles on the residents’ faces and knowing they are enjoying the meals I create.”