Pearl barley risotto with beer-braised beef cheeks and onions Archive

Ingredients

• 2 beef cheeks, fully trimmed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 500ml/18fl oz full-flavoured amber ale, such as Riggwelter
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 litres/3½ pints beef stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small white onions, peeled
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 4 sticks salsify, scrubbed
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 200g/7oz pearl barley, soaked in cold water for 1 hour then drained
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
• 100g/3½oz fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 25g/1oz Parmesan, finely grated
• 1 beef stock cube, crumbled, to serve