Preheat your oven to 160°C.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed oven dish (like a Le Creuset). Dust your beef cheeks with flour, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour then sear the cheeks on all sides in the hot oil. Remove the meat from your dish. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in the same dish used to sear your beef cheeks. Add chopped onion or shallots, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Season immediately with salt and pepper. The salt will stop the vegetables browning too quickly and allow them to caramelise slowly for maximum flavour.  You are ready to continue when the mushrooms have intensified significantly in colour and flavour. Now it is time to add your red wine, beef stock, star anise, cloves, rosemary and bay leaves. Take 2 generous Tbsps of Gourmet Direct Meat Glaze (the secret sauce!) and add it to the mix. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add your cherry tomatoes. Return your beef cheeks to the dish and place in the oven for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered in the oven for a further 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and set aside to rest while you prepare the chestnuts. Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a non-stick fry pan (you want butter for flavour and oil for heat without burning). Remove the chestnuts from the butter and oil, pop onto a warm baking tray and finish in the oven for 10 minutes.

Add the chestnuts to the meat dish. The beef cheeks should pull apart with very little effort. Serve your meaty chunks of cheek with plenty of vegetables, creamy mashed potato and delicious Jus from the dish.

Beef cheeks recipe lovingly supplied by our Gourmet Direct cooks!