Smoked Beef Cheek Bao Bun Recipe

This recipe comes to us from Mark Wilson at ANZCO Foods Marlborough as part of our healthy recipe competition!

Ingredients:

• Approx 1kg ANZCO Foods Beef Cheek
• 3 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp Pepper and Me “Salt of Aotearoa”
• 1 tbsp MSG
• 2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
• 440ml can Renaissance “Stonecutter” Scotch Ale
• Bao Buns
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 capsicum, sliced
• 1 bunch spring onions, roughly cut
• 2 shallots
• Kewpie mayo

Method

1. Trim all silver skin from beef cheeks and any ends of fat (these will crisp up and burn if not trimmed).
2. Mix all seasonings together, and liberally coat all sides of beef cheeks with seasoning mixture. Don’t forget the side edges too.
3. Place in smoker or BBQ at 110°C for four hours - use hickory or cherry wood for the best flavours.
4. After 4 hours, remove cheeks and place in a high sided tin foil tray. Add Stonecutter ale until it's half way up the sides of cheeks (if you have any ale leftover, drink it!).
5. Cover the tray tightly with tin foil and braise for four hours.
6. Remove tin foil, and let it rest uncovered for 15 mins.
7. Drain liquid into a shallow pot on medium heat to thicken into sauce, then remove from heat. While the sauce thickens, shred the beef cheeks.
8. Steam bao buns for 9 minutes, and leave covered off the heat for an additional 3 minutes.

9. Use the tin foil tray to lightly fry shallots in the leftover fond.

For serving

1. Spread kewpie on base of bao, add shredded beef cheeks, then carrot, then capsicum, then spring onion, then sauce, with shallot on top.
2. Fold bao closed and lean forward over plate as you eat - it can be a juicy mess!
3. The order of assembly is important to provide structure to the bun so it doesn’t explode on the first bite.

Thanks for sending this great recipe through Mark - you've got a $50 Prezzy Card coming your way!