Ox Cheek Masala Pickled Shallots & Corriander Sauce Vierge

This Ox Cheek Masala from Sabrina Gidda is slow-cooked to perfection with warming spices like cumin, turmeric, and garam masala. Paired with tangy pickled shallots and a zesty coriander sauce vierge, it's a dish that will make your taste buds dance! Serve with fresh coriander and crispy shallots!

Ingredients

2 x ox cheeks trimmed of fat and sinew
5 x tbsp. veg oil
2 x large white onions blended to a puree
250ml passata
1 x tsp cumin seeds
1 x tsp turmeric
1 x tsp ground cumin
1 x tsp ground coriander
1 x tsp garam masala
1 x tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 x whole black cardamom
3 x green cardamom
1 x stick cassia bark / cinnamon
3 x tsp ginger paste
4 x tsp garlic paste
3 x tsp green chilli
6 x fresh curry leaves
2 x tbsp. tamarind sauce
½ tsp ground black pepper
1.5 x tsp fine salt

For the pink onions

1 x medium sized red onion
50ml white vinegar
1 tbsp beetroot powder

For the verge

2 x large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and diced
4 x spring onions washed and finely chopped
coriander stalks washed well and chopped
2 generous pinches of fresh coriander leaves
¼ tsp green chilli paste
zest of one lemon & juice of 1/2

Method

Print Recipe

Cut each of your ox cheeks into 2-4 pieces depended on their size.
In a large heavy bottomed or cast iron pan, add the veg oil, add the onions and cook for about 20-30minutes. This does take time, but really – what is 30minutes in the scheme of culinary magic?
Turn up the heat and add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger, chilli and garlic paste. Add the ox cheeks at this point. Cook stirring vigorously before adding your tomatoes and your spices.
At this point, add 250ml water and reduce the heat to a slow blip. You can let this simmer on a stove, but I like to put the lid on my cast iron pan and pop it in the oven for about 4-5hours at 150.
In the mean time, finely slice your onions and pour over the white vinegar and add mix in the beetroot powder. I prefer to not warm my vinegar or add sugar as I like the onions to retain their crunch and be quite bunchy with acidity, set aside until you are ready to plate.
Finely dice your tomatoes after removing the seeds and pop into a bowl. Add the finely chopped coriander, leaves, spring onion, zest and lemon juice finishing with the green chilli paste. I actually really like to blend all ingredients (not the tomato) in a little chopper, then stir through the diced tomato, it creates a lovely vibrant sauce.
Check the seasoning on your cheeks and add a little more salt if needed. After 4-5 hours of cooking, the sauce should be rich, dark and full of flavour, with the meat soft, yielding and utterly delicious. Serve by plating – but for me feasting is sharing. So scatter your onions over your cheeks, along with a drizzle of vierge, crispy shallots and fresh coriander leaves – with a little more vierge to serve at the table.

Ingredients

2 x ox cheeks trimmed of fat and sinew
5 x tbsp. veg oil
2 x large white onions blended to a puree
250ml passata
1 x tsp cumin seeds
1 x tsp turmeric
1 x tsp ground cumin
1 x tsp ground coriander
1 x tsp garam masala
1 x tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 x whole black cardamom
3 x green cardamom
1 x stick cassia bark / cinnamon
3 x tsp ginger paste
4 x tsp garlic paste
3 x tsp green chilli
6 x fresh curry leaves
2 x tbsp. tamarind sauce
½ tsp ground black pepper
1.5 x tsp fine salt

For the pink onions

1 x medium sized red onion
50ml white vinegar
1 tbsp beetroot powder

For the verge

2 x large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and diced
4 x spring onions washed and finely chopped
coriander stalks washed well and chopped
2 generous pinches of fresh coriander leaves
¼ tsp green chilli paste
zest of one lemon & juice of 1/2

Method

Cut each of your ox cheeks into 2-4 pieces depended on their size.
In a large heavy bottomed or cast iron pan, add the veg oil, add the onions and cook for about 20-30minutes. This does take time, but really – what is 30minutes in the scheme of culinary magic?
Turn up the heat and add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger, chilli and garlic paste. Add the ox cheeks at this point. Cook stirring vigorously before adding your tomatoes and your spices.
At this point, add 250ml water and reduce the heat to a slow blip. You can let this simmer on a stove, but I like to put the lid on my cast iron pan and pop it in the oven for about 4-5hours at 150.
In the mean time, finely slice your onions and pour over the white vinegar and add mix in the beetroot powder. I prefer to not warm my vinegar or add sugar as I like the onions to retain their crunch and be quite bunchy with acidity, set aside until you are ready to plate.
Finely dice your tomatoes after removing the seeds and pop into a bowl. Add the finely chopped coriander, leaves, spring onion, zest and lemon juice finishing with the green chilli paste. I actually really like to blend all ingredients (not the tomato) in a little chopper, then stir through the diced tomato, it creates a lovely vibrant sauce.
Check the seasoning on your cheeks and add a little more salt if needed. After 4-5 hours of cooking, the sauce should be rich, dark and full of flavour, with the meat soft, yielding and utterly delicious. Serve by plating – but for me feasting is sharing. So scatter your onions over your cheeks, along with a drizzle of vierge, crispy shallots and fresh coriander leaves – with a little more vierge to serve at the table.