Page 21 - Real Rochdale Issue 09 Winter 2020

Ben Shepherd, head chef

at the award-winning

Baum on Toad Lane, shares

the secrets of the winter

dish everyone can’t get

enough of.

“I’ve had a pretty wild trip since we reopened, new job, new menu, feels like a
completely new pub. It’s been a riot.

“We try and do serious, modern British food, you know, decent homely stuff
but with a little flair. People rave about the ox cheek and I get why.”
slow-cooked ox cheek

Ingredients: This isn’t a rush job. If you’re after a 15 minute meal you are seriously in the wrong place.

4 ox cheeks To kick things off, you want to pop your oven on about 180ºC and get a good sized casserole
½ a head of celery - diced dish at the ready. In a frying pan over a medium heat melt some butter, then fry your diced
2 carrots - diced vegetables for a few minutes. Season it with salt and black pepper. Once your onions have
gone a little translucent, lob in your garlic, give it two minutes to fry off then chuck it in the
2 medium onions - diced casserole dish.
4 cloves of garlic - sliced
2 bay leaves In the same pan, drop in another knob of butter, season each cheek and sprinkle with a little
A few sprigs each of rosemary and flour, then once the butter is bubbling, carefully lay them in the pan. After three minutes

thyme turn them over, after three more take them out and add to the casserole dish.
½ a bottle of red wine Add a good splash of red wine into the pan and scrape off any goodness that’s stuck on the
1 pint of Bovril bottom. Add in the rest of the red wine, your bay leaves, rosemary and thyme then boil away
1 star anise for a few minutes. Then add it all into the pot with a pint of Bovril. Other beef stock is avail-
Salt and pepper able but we’re big fans. Chuck in a star anise if you’ve got it.

Shove a lid on it, pop it in the oven and forget about it for four or five hours. Then carefully
lift out the cheeks, pick out your herbs and star anise and blitz the reminder with a hand
blender. If it’s not thick enough, you can reduce it or add some gravy granules. Give it one
“It’s our best seller, but really, last hit of black pepper.

it’s not surprising, is it?” At The Baum we serve this with an incredible smoked mash and honey roast carrots, but

you can put this with anything and it will sing.

REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020 20 21 REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020