Middle Eastern Braised Beef Cheeks with Broccoli and Lemon Couscous
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 600g-800g Beef Cheeks
- 1 Brown Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- ½ Fennel
- ½ Bunch Coriander
- 400g Chickpeas
- 500ml Beef Stock
- 1½ Cups Couscous
- 1 Broccoli
- 1 Lemon
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Quill
- 1 Pinch Saffron
- 1 Cup Flour
- ½ Tbsp Preserved Lemon, optional
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1½ Cups Boiling Water
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Finely dice the onion and garlic and cut the fennel into 1cm thick slices. Roughly chop the preserved lemon. Wash, pick, and chop the coriander, saving some leaves for garnishing.
- Pat dry the beef and cut into 3-4cm pieces. Toss with flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat a casserole dish over high heat, drizzle with olive oil, and sear the beef in two batches for 2 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Add more olive oil to the pan and saute the onion, garlic, and fennel for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in honey and preserved lemon. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then add saffron and cinnamon. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the beef.
- Drain the chickpeas and add to the pan with the bay leaves, half of the chopped coriander, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, then uncover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into florets and boil for 3-4 minutes until tender. Drain, finely chop, and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine couscous with boiling water. Quickly mix, cover for 3 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Season with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lemon. Mix in the broccoli and coriander.
- Remove beef from the oven, rest for 10 minutes, and skim off excess oil. Serve hot with broccoli couscous, garnished with coriander leaves.