Slow Cooked Ox Cheeks with Prunes & Walnuts Recipe

Recipe:
Season the ox cheeks all over with the salt. Place a good sized casserole pan over a moderate to high heat. When hot, add the oil and brown the meat for around 5 minutes, turning from time to time until well coloured, then remove to a plate, reserving the fat in the pan.

Turn down the heat of the pan to moderate and add the onions along with the butter and cook for around 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic, orange peel, parsley stalks and herbs, and cook for around 1 minute more.

Return the ox cheeks to the pan, add the red wine and cook down until reduced by half. After that time, add the stock. Stir well, reduce the heat to low and cover to simmer very gently for about 2 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender. Alternatively place it in a low oven at 130°C or use a slow cooker. Check the pan from time to time, giving the contents a gentle stir, to ensure the meat doesn't catch. If you’d rather, you can also skim off any excess fat that collects in the pan using a spoon.

Add the prunes to the dish towards the final 20 minutes of cooking time, submerging them deep within the liquid so that they plump in the juices.
Check the seasoning, adjusting with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
To serve, scatter the beef with the walnuts and parsley.