Beef cheeks, cheesy polenta & kale pesto

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 kg beef cheeks

  4 around 250g each
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 500 ml red wine
• 400 ml vegetable stock - beef is ok too but it will be a richer dish
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes

  400g
• 6 garlic cloves

  crushed
• 1 red chilli

  finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 star anise
• 1 liter whole milk & 250ml whole milk

  seperate
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 garlic clove

  pureed
• 40 g butter
• 1/4 cup parmesan

  grated
• 2 cups kale leaves

  torn
• 1 garlic clove

  crushed
• 2 tbsp pinenuts

  light;y toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

  grated
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 8 dutch carrots

  peeled and trimmed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• 1 Season beef cheeks and sear in dutch oven with 1 tbsp oil on medium to high heat
  - approx 4 mins or until golden brown. Remove and leave on clean plate
• 2 In same pan add 1 tbsp oil, red wine, stock, chili, garlic, bay, spices.tomato
  paste and tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil.
• 3 Add beef cheeks to liquid and top with water (if necessary) until cheeks are
  completely submerged.
• 4 Cover pot with lid or foil and place in oven at 180c for 3 hours.
• 5 Remove from oven and remove cheeks from the pot. Skim any fat and reduce the
  liquid by half
• 6 Adjust seasoning if necessary and add beef cheeks back to pot and leave on a low
  heat until ready to serve.
• 7 Start to make the carrots & polenta now. 
• 8 Add 1 liter of milk, garlic & bay leaves to saucepan and bring to a simmer on a
  medium heat.
• 9 Remove bay leaves and slowly add polenta to milk, stirring continuously. Cook on
  a low heat for 3 mins.
• 10 Add butter, mascarpone, seasoning, parmesan and extra milk. Cook for another 2
  minutes until polenta is a nice semi firm consistency.
• 11 Toss carrots in olive oil and seasoning.
• 12 Cook in oven @ 180c for 8-10 mins. Alternatively you can fry them on medium heat
  for 8-10 mins. 
• 13 Toast pinenuts in a dry frying pan on low heat. Remove as soon as they start to
  go golden brown.
• 14 Add pinenuts, kale, garlic, parmesan, seasoning and lemon juice to food
  processor.
• 15 With food processor on medium gradually add oil until blended into a paste.
• 16 Place a spoon of the polenta on the center of the plate.
• 17 Using a slotted spoon and tongs gently place beef cheek on top of polenta and
  drizzle a little braising liquid over the top
• 18 Place carrots next to beef cheeks and spoon a little pesto over the top and
  alongside the carrots as shown in photo.

Nutrition Info