On a Clare Day – Beef cheeks in red wine

On a Clare Day might be one of our favourite pun titles, but it’s also a wonderful book, and is launching today as part of the Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend. Jeni and Burt Surmon’s tale of leaving their city life to start a winery includes a number of delicious recipes, a few which of course incorporate some of their Mt Surmon wines! These beef cheeks sound like exactly the thing for an Autumn Sunday lunch.

 

Beef (calf) cheeks in red wine

Ingredients for 4 servings

 

4 beef cheeks

150 mL olive oil

1 x 400 g tin of tomatoes

2 tbs tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

1 red capsicum, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

handful of parsley, chopped

2 springs of sage, chopped

2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

4 sprigs of thyme, chopped

salt, pepper, grated nutmeg

250 mL beef stock

half a bottle of Nebbiolo (Mt Surmon or otherwise!)

Wash the cheeks well. Put half of the oil into a large saucepan and sauté the cheeks until brown on both sides. Remove the cheeks.

Add the remaining oil, vegetables, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot, cook for a few minutes then add the garlic, spices and herbs, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop from sticking, in which case add a little stock.

Now add the cheeks, stock and red wine. Reduce the heat, put the lid on and cook gently for 5 hours.

Want to know what it’s like to start a winery? Find our more about On a Clare Day here.