When most people think of sherry, they probably don't immediately think of enjoying a glass alongside their dinner. But with so many different styles, from crisp, dry Finos to rich, nutty Olorosos, there's a sherry to complement all sorts of dishes.
And for me, there's nothing better at this time of year than a hearty, slow-cooked meal. The sort of thing that's perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon when you've got nowhere else to be.
So, this month I've gone for a beef cheek fritter, served with mushroom and Idiazabal blue cheese rice.
The beef cheek is slowly cooked until beautifully tender, then coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crispy. It's served on a bed of rich, creamy mushroom and Idiazabal cheese rice, finished with the beef cheek cooking sauce.
And the perfect accompaniment? A glass of Oloroso sherry.
Oloroso is a dry, full-bodied style of sherry with lovely nutty flavours that work brilliantly with the richness of the beef cheek and blue cheese. It's a pairing that really shows why sherry deserves a place at the dinner table.
You should be able to pick up beef cheek from a good local butcher. If you can get hold of a Idiazabal cheese, I'd highly recommend it, but any good, smokey cheese will work just as well.
We've got the dish on our specials menu throughout November, but if you fancy having a go at making it yourself, I've shared the recipe below.
Enjoy!
Johnny
Buñuelo de Carrillera de Ternera Recipe
Beef Cheek Fritter with Mushroom & Idiazabal Cheese Rice
Serves 4
Prep: 5 Hours
Cook: 40 mins, + 4 hours in the oven
See our Chef’s Notes below for recipe tips
Ingredients
For the beef cheeks and sauce
600g Beef cheeks
10 Plain flour
3g Salt
2g Black pepper
4g Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
50g Onion, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
30g Carrot, finely diced
50g Celery, finely diced
50g Portobello mushrooms, diced
100ml Red wine
10g Tomato purée
1 Bay leaf
3g Beef stock Powder
200ml Water
5ml Henderson's Relish
For the mushroom and Idiazabal rice
25g Shallot, finely diced
One Clove of Garlic, finely chopped
20g Carrot, finely diced
20g Celery, finely diced
20g Portobello mushrooms, diced
50ml White wine
175g Risotto rice
175ml Water, plus extra as needed
2.5g Chicken stock powder
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
For the fritter coating and finishing
40g Plain flour
2 Eggs
60g Panko breadcrumbs
20g Idiazabal cheese, grated
20g Fresh spinach
Maldon sea salt to taste
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Method
For the Beef Cheeks
Preheat your oven to 160°C. Finely chop the rosemary and mix it with the flour, salt and pepper. Lightly coat the beef cheeks in the seasoned flour.
Heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef cheeks on all sides until nicely browned, then transfer them to an ovenproof dish.
Using the same pan, reduce the heat and add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Cook gently until softened and lightly caramelised.
Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavour from the bottom. Add the tomato purée, bay leaf, beef stock powder, water and Henderson's Relish. Bring to a boil.
Pour the sauce over the beef cheeks. Cover with baking parchment and a lid or tightly sealed foil.
Place in the oven for approximately 4 hours, until the beef is beautifully tender.
Remove the beef cheeks and allow them to cool. Blend the cooking liquid and vegetables until smooth to make the sauce, then set aside.
Once cooled, divide the beef into four portions.
For the Mushroom & Idiazabal Rice
Finely dice the shallot, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms.
Heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the vegetables and gently cook until softened and lightly caramelised.
Pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce slightly.
Add the rice and stir continuously for approximately one minute.
Add the water and chicken stock powder, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently, stirring regularly, until the rice is al dente. Add extra hot water as required to prevent it drying out.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
When ready to Eat
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the flour, beaten eggs and panko breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls.
Take each portion of cooled beef cheek and coat it first in flour, then beaten egg and finally the panko breadcrumbs.
Make sure each piece is completely covered, repeating the egg and breadcrumb coating if necessary.
Heat approximately 1cm of cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat.
Carefully place the breaded beef cheeks into the oil, lowering them away from you to avoid splashes.
Shallow fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to an oven tray and cook in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
While the fritters are in the oven, gently reheat the mushroom rice in a saucepan over a low heat.
Add a splash of hot water or stock if needed to loosen the consistency.
Once heated through, stir in the grated Idiazabal cheese and spinach until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
In a separate saucepan, gently reheat the beef cheek sauce.
To Serve
Divide the mushroom and Idiazabal rice between four plates.
Place a golden beef cheek fritter on top of each portion, then drizzle over the rich beef cheek sauce.
Finish with a little Maldon sea salt to taste.
Serve with seasonal vegetables such as purple sprouting broccoli or carrots.
Chef’s Notes
Make it ahead: The beef cheeks can be slow-cooked in advance, making this a great recipe for a relaxed Sunday dinner. Cool and refrigerate promptly, then reheat thoroughly when ready to serve.
We love making this with a smokey Idiazabal Cheese, but any smokey cheese will work if you can’t get hold of it.
The perfect pairing: Serve with a glass of Oloroso sherry. Its rich, nutty flavours complement the beef cheek and cheese beautifully.
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Throughout the month, our restaurants will be serving our Buñuelo de Carrillera de Ternera alongside our Sherry Wine Menu.
It features our full range of sherries, from dry to sweet, Sherry Flights to help you discover more of this exceptional wine and sherry cocktails too!
Taste your way through Sherry and discover a new favourite.
Book your table to experience Sherry today!