"la Joue"

OK, so for those who need the translation, it’s beef cheek...WAIT, don’t close the window and shake your head, this meat is absolutely delicious and tender. If you feel better think of it as flank (but make sure to buy the cheek, haha).  This is my grandmother’s recipe, passed down to my mother, passed down to me. This is one of the meats we all wait for on Passover and Rosh Hashanah.  It doesn’t take many ingredients, just patience and love. This is what you’ll need: (4 to 6 people)

4 kosher beef cheeks

5 dried red peppers (sweet or hot)

Garlic

Cumin

Paprika

Salt

Oil

In a large pot bring cheek to a boil and let it cook for 15 minutes, then throw out the water, rinse and put fresh water and bring to a boil with a Bay leaf for about 45 minutes, then remove the meat, let it cool, trim the visible excess fat, cut into cubes, about 2 inches, then put back into pot with cooking water, the water must just cover the meat. Add 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 4-5 whole garlic cloves, 5 to 6 dried peppers, ¼ cup oil, salt to taste and let come to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let it cook and reduce for about 2 hours.  The meat will be very tender and should melt in your mouth. Some add mini meatballs to the pot to extend it. Also, you can serve it with “Hummus”, cooked chick peas.  This can also be done in a pressure cooker, but as I never do it, I couldn’t give you the exact times.

Enjoy!