Beef Cheeks in a Spiced Coconut Curry Sauce with Sweet Potatoes

This is a deeply flavoured delicious complete meal, which will work with any meat suitable for slow cooking so don’t feel like you have to have cheeks, rib would work as would a pork shoulder cut. I used 1kg of the beef which fed 4 comfortably with a decent amount over for the next day. The flavours are at their best if you make it and leave it overnight to serve the next day but again you don’t have to stick to this.

Serves 6

1kg beef cheeks trimmed

1 large white onion sliced

3tbsp good quality medium curry powder (use hot if you like it)

1tbsp ground coriander

Oil for searing

1 nutmeg

1 star anise

Salt and Pepper

2 by 400ml tin of coconut milk (you can use full fat or light either will work)

400ml Tomato passata

2tbsp tomato puree

4tbsp chopped fresh coriander to finish

4 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 5cm pieces approx

Method

Add the curry powder, ground coriander to a flat plate. Grate all 4 sides of the nutmeg onto it and mix well.

Season the beef cheeks and dip into the powder mix to coat each side.

Heat oil in a wide heavy bottom pot and sear the cheeks on both sides.

Remove to a plate

Add the onion, any left-over spice mix and about 20ml of water to the pot, scrape up any sediment from the bottom and cook the onion over a medium heat until it is golden, don’t let it burn,

Add the tomato puree and mix well and cook for about a minute then add in the tomato, star anise and coconut milk, then add back the beef cheeks, bring to the boil, then turn down very low to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2.5 to 3 hours until the cheeks are tender.

(You could also do this by putting into the oven at 150C and cook until tender – make sure your pot is oven proof).

Remove the star anise then the cheeks and gently shred them then add them back to the pot, and add the sweet potato and cook for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Taste your sauce and add a tiny bit of brown or palm sugar if needed plus any seasoning. Stir in the coriander just before serving.