Ox cheeks à la Gabi

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1,500 g ox cheeks
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch(s) of pepper
• 150 g carrot(s), diced
• 150 g celeriac, diced
• 1 stalk(s) leek, cut into rings
• 1 onion(s), diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 125 ml port wine
• 250 ml red wine
• 300 ml veal stock
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 chili pepper(s)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 juniper berries, lightly pressed
• 1 grain allspice
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes

Remove any fat, tendons, and silver skin from the ox cheeks. Trim to a suitable size, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and lightly brown on all sides in a casserole dish with the rapeseed oil. Remove and set aside. Lightly fry the vegetables and onion in the remaining oil. Stir in the tomato paste and brown lightly. Deglaze with port wine and 125 ml red wine and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated. Then add the remaining red wine and reduce until an almost syrupy mass forms, which is then poured over the veal stock. Return the cheeks to the dish and simmer on low heat for 3 hours with the lid half-open. One hour before the end of cooking, place the spices in a paper tea strainer, tie a tie, and add to the meat sauce. When the cooking time is over, carefully remove the cheeks from the dish and let cool. Remove the tea strainer, strain the sauce through a sieve, and then pass it through a cheesecloth. Reduce the sauce again by half over low heat until it thickens. Thicken with cornstarch if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes.