Name: Braised beef in honey & soy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 ½kg braising beef preferably 2 large beef cheeks, trimmed and halved; 1 onion roughly chopped; 1 carrot roughly chopped; 1 leek roughly chopped; 1 celery stick, roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves; small bunch thyme; 5 coriander seeds; 2 cloves; 50ml sherry vinegar; 60ml soy sauce; 200ml madeira; 3 tbsp clear honey; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 800ml chicken stock; 3 heads bok choi quartered; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp icing sugar; small piece ginger; 100ml chicken stock

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½kg braising beef
preferably 2 large beef cheeks, trimmed and halved
1 onion
roughly chopped
1 carrot
roughly chopped
1 leek
roughly chopped
1 celery
stick, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
small bunch thyme
5 coriander seeds
2 cloves
50ml sherry vinegar
60ml soy sauce
200ml madeira
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp tomato purée
800ml chicken stock

For the bok choi

3 heads bok choi
quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp icing sugar
small piece ginger
100ml chicken stock

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole or sauté pan, then spend a good 10 mins browning the meat well on all sides.
step 2
Scatter the vegetables, thyme, coriander seeds and cloves in amongst the meat and continue to cook over a high heat for 10 mins until browned.
step 3
Pour over the Sherry vinegar, soy sauce and Madeira, and drizzle over the honey. Stir everything together, then reduce over a high heat until it’s sticky and syrupy and the meat is coated really well. Stir in the tomato purée.
step 4
Pour over the stock and bring to the simmer. Stir, then taste and lightly season with salt accordingly (it may not need any as the soy is already salty). Cover the pan and place in the oven for 2½-3 hrs, stirring once or twice, until the meat is really tender. Remove the meat to another pan or container. Boil the sauce for 10 mins until sticky, then strain it over the meat.
step 5
About 20 mins before serving, drizzle the bok choi with half the oil and the soy sauce and dust with the icing sugar. Grate over a little of the ginger, then toss well until completely coated.
step 6
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan, add the bok choi and cook until the sugar coating starts to caramelise. Pour in the stock and simmer for 5 mins until tender. Reheat the mash and the beef. You are now ready to serve.
step 7
Lift the meat out of the sauce and carve into thick slices. Place a large spoonful of mash on the side of each plate. Lay a few slices of meat on the mash. Sit two bok choi quarters on the other side of the plate and spoon over the sauce.