Ox cheek pie recipe: celebrating one of the cow's most rewarding cuts

Ingredients

• 1.2-1.5 kg ox cheek (trimmed of excess sinew and silver skin)
• 1 onion
• 1 leek
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick celery
• 4 cloves garlic (peeled and cut in half)
• 3 bay leaves
• Thyme (a small bunch)
• 1 heaped tsp peppercorns
• 400-500 ml stout or porter
• 1.5 l chicken stock
• Vegetable oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
• Pastry (to top the pie (I prefer puff or even croissant pastry, but shortcrust is fine))
• 1 egg (to egg-wash the pastry (alternatively use a splash of milk))
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 large onions
• 50 g butter
• 4 carrots
• 3 star anise