A VERY CHEEKY RECIPE

Summer before last, when we were in Marseilles, I had the most orgasmic meal of my life. It was at that little cafe tucked behind a butcher's shop -- the one I told you about here. What did I have? Beef Cheeks with Foie Gras. I doubt if I would have had the nerve to try something so scary-sounding, had I not read about it beforehand in a novel written by Peter Mayle -- a serious foodie whose opinion I trust.

My Most Memorable Meal

Needless to say, I have never run across beef cheeks at my local supermarket, nor on any restaurant menues hereabouts. So, imagine my surprise when they suddenly popped up as an offering from one of our local producers at The Bountiful Sprout! Well, I just had to order some, now didn't I?

This is what they looked like when I took them out of the package. Not too scary, right?

Well, except for this one little bit that looked like it had feelers on it, which I disposed of post haste.

The thing is, when I had that meal in Marseilles, I thought I was probably eating one of the most expensive cuts of meat -- something on the order of tenderloin, which is what it reminded me of, with a tenderness that almost melted in my mouth. Turns out, beef cheeks are one of the most economical cuts there is, but you have to know how to cook them -- slow and moist.

I went on-line to look for recipes, and found this one on epicurious:

Braised Beef Cheeks

Gourmet | March 2003

Adapted from Uno e Bino

When braised, these beef cheeks become meltingly tender, with a rich, deep flavor. You may want to check with your butcher when planning this dish, since it's often necessary to order beef cheeks ahead of time.

Yield: 4 main-course servings

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
4 (12-oz.) beef cheeks, trimmed of excess fat (another recipe I found said "but don't go crazy trimming". I think I went a little too crazy)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1/2 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups red wine (preferably a dry Lambrusco or Chianti)
1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes including juice, chopped (3 c.)
1/2 T. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Heat 2 T. oil in an ovenproof 6-qt. wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. While oil is heating, pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef, without crowding, on all sides, about 20 minutes total, and transfer with tongs to a bowl. Pour off fat from pot, then add remaining 2 T. oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Stir cocoa powder into vegetable mixture, then add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Return cheeks (with any juices) to pot and add tomatoes with juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then braise, covered, in middle of oven until very tender, about 3 hours.

Beef cheeks improve in flavor if made up to 2 days ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, surface covered with parchment paper or wax paper and pot covered with lid. Remove any solidified fat before reheating.

Back to Becky: OK, my version may not have been orgasmic, but it was pretty dang good. Probably would have been even better if I had actually followed the recipe. For one thing, I needed to cut the recipe in half, since I only had 2 beef cheeks, but I didn't have a small can of tomatoes, so I threw in a large one. As you can see, my sauce if very tomatoey. For another, if you are halving your recipe, you can probably reduce the cooking time. Or else, maybe you need to add a bit of water along the way. You know how people say something is so tender you can cut it with a fork? Well, you could have cut ours with a spoon. Plus, three hours of all that tomatoey goodness, but not enough actual liquid, really did a number on the white enamel interior of my no-longer-beautiful Le Creuset pan. Still, it was pretty tasty. Can't wait to try again!