In the particular instance of first devising this recipe, the cheeks were more of a last-minute scavenge than planned treasure hunt as described in the introduction. Me being something of a part-time bin, I manage to scour these from the butchers in a last-minute dash for opportunity. Not the freshest, but certainly useable and still deserving of attention and intervention.

Consider a cow, out in a field. What’s it likely to be doing? Chewing. Hence why their cheeks are some of the hardest-working, greatest-yielding parts of the animal. They've a fascinating structure, too; shell or leaf-like lines intertwining through the main muscle and flesh, marbling fat and sinew, all intricacies of which break down and meld into the stew sauce this recipe produces. The process is one of deconstruction and reformation: from sturdy, meaty medals into supple, soothing masses deep within a pot in and amongst homely comforts of herbs, root vegetables and alcohol (red wine or in this case, ale, because it had a nice big reduced label stuck to it).

As I continue to encourage - these ‘off-cuts’ can be treated simply and alongside other part of the animal - in this case those used for stewing. So, without dictating an exact recipe (because I also want to encourage the instinctual cooking capacity we can all access for ourselves in our own kitchens), here’s an overview of my ingredients, some of which you might spot are little domestic shelf-scavenges of mine…

-4 x Ox Cheeks
-Carrot, celery heart & stalks, swede, onion, garlic
-Ale, Pickled Beetroot Brine, Worcester Sauce
-3 x Bay Leaves, Thyme
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp celery salt