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I have been making this dish for years. The original recipe is from Bruno Loubet. In his recipe he adds mango to the salsa which is also lovely. I have found that this dish gets better with age and I quite often cook the braised beef the day before and make the salsa on the day. If you can’t find ketjap manis, mix a little honey into light soy sauce.

There’s a lovely heat and richness to this dish. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, it really is worth it. As with other recipes I will give instructions for pressure cooking as well as in the oven.

As well as the cucumber salsa, serve with some rice.

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 kg beef cheeks, halved

4 large carrots, sliced

3 sticks celery, sliced

2 onions, diced

5 garlic cloves, crushed

60g ginger, sliced

1 star anise

1 lemon grass, bruised

50ml pomegranate molasses

140ml ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce) or light soy mixed with a little honey

30ml sweet chilli sauce

3 kaffir lime leaves, bruised

500ml beef stock

3 cardamom, crushed

50ml lime juice

Salsa dressing

60ml sesame oil

15ml sweet chilli sauce

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 kaffit lime leaf, deveined and finely chopped

50ml olive oil

50ml lime juice

1 tsp sugar

Salsa

12 spring onions, sliced

1 cucumber cut into 3cm batons

3 tbsp coriander, chopped

3 tbsp basil, chopped

3 tbsp mint

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the cheeks on all sides. Set aside in a bowl. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and cook the carrots, celery and onions until lightly coloured. Add them to the bowl with the beef.

Put the beef, vegetables and all the remaining ingredients in a pressure cooker or oven proof dish with a lid. Top up with water to just cover the beef.

Pressure cooker – secure the lid and over a high heat bring to full pressure, lower the heat and cook for 50 minutes. Leave for the pressure to release naturally.

Oven proof dish with lid – Preheat the oven to 200C fan. cover with a piece of baking parchment to ensure everything stays submerged. Put the lid on and cook for 3 hours.

When cooking is finished, leave the beef to rest in the sauce for at least 30 minutes. Remove the cheeks with a slotted spoon, to a large bowl or clean pan and cover with foil or a lid to prevent the cheeks drying out.

Pass the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan and discard the vegetables. Over a high heat, bubble to reduce to a nice rich sauce then add to the meat.

Dressing for salsa

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz

To finish

Mix all the salad ingredients and add the dressing

Sweet soy beef cheeks with cucumber and herb salsa
Jules
I have been making this dish for years. The original recipe is from Bruno Loubet. In his recipe he adds mango to the salsa which is also lovely. I have found that this dish gets better with age and I quite often cook the braised beef the day before and make the salsa on the day. If you can't find ketjap manis, mix a little honey into light soy sauce.
There's a lovely heat and richness to this dish. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, it really is worth it. As with other recipes I will give instructions for pressure cooking as well as in the oven.
As well as the cucumber salsa, serve with some rice.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 6 people
Calories 686 kcal
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Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 kg beef cheeks halved
  • 4 large carrots sliced
  • 3 sticks celery sliced
  • 2 onions diced
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 60 g ginger sliced
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 lemon grass bruised
  • 50 ml pomegranate molasses
  • 140 ml Ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)
  • 30 ml sweet chilli sauce
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves bruised
  • 500 ml beef stock
  • 3 cardamom crushed
  • 50 ml lime juice

Dressing for salsa

  • 60 ml sesame oil
  • 15 ml sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp ginger grated
  • 1 kaffir lime leaf deveined and finely chopped
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 50 ml lime juice
  • 1 tsp sugar

Salsa

  • 12 spring onions finely sliced
  • 1 cucumber cut into 3 cm batons
  • 3 tbsp coriander chopped
  • 3 tbsp basil chopped
  • 3 tbsp mint chopped
  • Lime wedges to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the cheeks on all sides. Set aside in a bowl. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and cook the carrots, celery and onions until lightly coloured. Add them to the bowl with the beef.
  • Put the beef, vegetables and all the remaining ingredients in a pressure cooker or oven proof dish with a lid. Top up with water to just cover the beef.
  • Pressure cooker - secure the lid and over a high heat bring to full pressure, lower the heat and cook for 50 minutes. Leave for the pressure to release naturally.
  • Oven proof dish with lid - Preheat the oven to 200C fan. cover with a piece of baking parchment to ensure everything stays submerged. Put the lid on and cook for 3 hours.
  • When cooking is finished, leave the beef to rest in the sauce for at least 30 minutes. Remove the cheeks with a slotted spoon, to a large bowl or clean pan and cover with foil or a lid to prevent the cheeks drying out.
  • Pass the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan and discard the vegetables. Over a high heat, bubble to reduce to a nice rich sauce then add to the meat.

Salsa dressing and salsa

  • Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and whizz
    Mix all the salsa ingredients together and add the dressing

Nutrition

Calories: 686kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 35gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 801mgPotassium: 858mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 462IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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