Braised Beef Cheeks with Australian Avocado Mole

Beef Cheeks

• 1kg Beef Cheeks
• 100g Carrots, chopped
• 100g Onion, chopped
• 50g Celery, chopped
• 50g Leek, chopped
• 50ml Red wine
• 5g Bayleaf
• 5g White peppercorn
• 10g Dried chili
• 1l Water

Avocado & Peanut Mole

• 50g Peanuts, blanched
• 50g Macadamia, blanched
• 50g Cashew, blanched
• 50g Pistachio, blanched
• 25g Brown onion, chopped
• 15g Leek, chopped
• 5g Garlic, chopped
• 5g Jalapeño, chopped
• 1g Lemon juice
• 1g Salt
• 100g Australian avocado mousse (blended avocado)

Pickled Cauliflower

• 150g Apple cider
• 80g Sugar
• 20g Salt
• 5g Arbol chilli
• 1g Bayleaf
• 200g Purple cauliflower
• 200g White cauliflower

Beef Cheeks

1. In a hot pan, sear the beef on all sides until browned.
2. Transfer the seared beef to a gastronome or a large oven-safe dish. Add all remaining ingredients, ensuring the beef is well-coated.
3. Cover the dish and braise the beef in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 5 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily pulls apart.
4. Once cooked, carefully remove the beef from the oven. Take the beef out of the liquid and set it aside to rest.
5. Strain the cooking liquid to remove any solids. Pour the stock back into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Reduce the stock by 20% or until it reaches a thick glaze consistency.
6. Slice the beef and serve with the reduced stock drizzled over the top.

Avocado & Peanut Mole

1. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, leek, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
2. While the aromatics are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the nuts and blanch for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Add the blanched nuts to the skillet with the sautéed aromatics. Pour in enough water to cover the mixture.
4. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until very smooth. Adjust the consistency with more water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Allow the sauce to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container for storage.
6. When ready to serve, take out the desired amount of sauce. Gently fold in avocado mousse until well combined.

Pickled Cauliflower

1. In a pot, add all the pickling ingredients.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt and sugar.
3. Once the liquid is simmering, remove it from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. Once the pickling liquid is cold, add the cauliflower florets to the pot. Ensure they are fully submerged in the liquid.
5. Transfer the cauliflower and pickling liquid to an airtight container.
6. Refrigerate and let the cauliflower pickle for at least 24 hours for optimal flavour.