Slow-cooked ox cheeks with honey-glazed apples recipe
 Ox cheeks (also known as beef cheeks) are cheap and packed with flavour, but they do need to cook low and slow for the best results. 2 ox cheeks, trimmed and halved3–4 tbsp plain flour, for dusting4 tbsp olive oil1 onion, chopped2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped1 carrot, chopped1 leek, chopped250ml/9fl oz red wine1 tbsp tomato purée1 tbsp yeast extract (such as Marmite)1 litre/1¾ pint beef stock2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked2 bay leaves½ tsp black peppercorns 2 ox cheeks, trimmed and halved 3–4 tbsp plain flour, for dusting 4 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 leek, chopped 250ml/9fl oz red wine 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tbsp yeast extract (such as Marmite) 1 litre/1¾ pint beef stock 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 bay leaves ½ tsp black peppercorns 30g/1oz butter1 swede, chopped into cubes and blanched30g/1oz honey2 large apples, peeled and cut into cubessalt and cracked black pepper 30g/1oz butter 1 swede, chopped into cubes and blanched 30g/1oz honey 2 large apples, peeled and cut into cubes salt and cracked black pepper 300g/10½oz cooked mashed potato, warmed 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped1 tbsp chives, chopped 300g/10½oz cooked mashed potato, warmed 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 tbsp chives, chopped Method For the ox cheeks, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.Dust the ox cheeks with flour. Heat a casserole or an ovenproof pan and add the oil. Once hot, brown the ox cheeks then remove and set aside. Put all vegetables, wine, tomato purée and marmite in the casserole and fry until softened. Return the ox cheeks and cover with stock. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours, or until the beef is tender.Once the beef is cooked, remove the casserole from the oven and pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve. Transfer to a clean pan and reduce until the volume of liquid has reduced to a rich sauce.For the apples and swede, heat a large frying pan or a sauté pan and add half the butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the swede and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the apples and the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the apples and swede are tender.To serve, spoon the mash into a large piping bag and pipe swirls of the mash onto serving plates. Add a piece of beef to each plate. Spoon the apple and swede on top, scatter over chopped parsley and chives. Serve with the sauce. For the ox cheeks, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. For the ox cheeks, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. Dust the ox cheeks with flour. Heat a casserole or an ovenproof pan and add the oil. Once hot, brown the ox cheeks then remove and set aside. Put all vegetables, wine, tomato purée and marmite in the casserole and fry until softened. Return the ox cheeks and cover with stock. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours, or until the beef is tender. Dust the ox cheeks with flour. Heat a casserole or an ovenproof pan and add the oil. Once hot, brown the ox cheeks then remove and set aside. Put all vegetables, wine, tomato purée and marmite in the casserole and fry until softened. Return the ox cheeks and cover with stock. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours, or until the beef is tender. Once the beef is cooked, remove the casserole from the oven and pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve. Transfer to a clean pan and reduce until the volume of liquid has reduced to a rich sauce. Once the beef is cooked, remove the casserole from the oven and pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve. Transfer to a clean pan and reduce until the volume of liquid has reduced to a rich sauce. For the apples and swede, heat a large frying pan or a sauté pan and add half the butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the swede and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the apples and the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the apples and swede are tender. For the apples and swede, heat a large frying pan or a sauté pan and add half the butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the swede and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the apples and the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the apples and swede are tender. To serve, spoon the mash into a large piping bag and pipe swirls of the mash onto serving plates. Add a piece of beef to each plate. Spoon the apple and swede on top, scatter over chopped parsley and chives. Serve with the sauce. To serve, spoon the mash into a large piping bag and pipe swirls of the mash onto serving plates. Add a piece of beef to each plate. Spoon the apple and swede on top, scatter over chopped parsley and chives. Serve with the sauce.