Name: Colin Fassnidge’s trick for making the most flavourful couscous
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 200 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 4 beef cheeks (about 1.2kg); 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped; 1 brown onion, chopped; 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 1 bulb garlic, halved horizontally; 1/2 bunch thyme; 2 star anise; 2 birdseye chillies (optional); 3 bay leaves, fresh or dried; 200ml red wine (or use white wine); 1 Tbsp sugar; 2 litres chicken stock or water; 200g couscous; Juice of 1 lemon

Colin Fassnidge’s trick for making the most flavourful couscous

Plus, his recipe for slow-cooked beef cheeks!

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Serves 4

Prep

40M

Cook

3H 20M

Total

Couscous is a challenging grain to perfect – if you cook it too long, it’s mushy, if you don’t season it enough, it’s bland.

Colin has devised a genius hack for creating the tastiest couscous possible. The secret? Using the extra beef stock and juices from his slow-cooked beef cheeks.

Make the most flavourful couscous, and just as good slow-cooked beef cheeks for your next hearty winter dinner.

Ingredients

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

4 beef cheeks (about 1.2kg)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 sticks celery, roughly chopped

1 brown onion, chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 bulb garlic, halved horizontally

1/2 bunch thyme

2 star anise

2 birdseye chillies (optional)

3 bay leaves, fresh or dried

200ml red wine (or use white wine)

1 Tbsp sugar

2 litres chicken stock or water

200g couscous

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Step 1

Season beef cheeks. Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan on a high heat. Add beef. Sear until caramelised on both sides, then remove to a plate.

Step 2

Add celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5–7 minutes or until just coloured. Add thyme, star anise, chillies (if using) and bay leaves.

Step 3

Add wine and cook until it reduces by half. Stir in sugar. Return beef to pan with stock or water. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2–3 hours or until beef is very tender.

Step 4

To make couscous, place couscous in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Ladle in 1/2 cup of beef cooking liquid. Cover with a lid or plate and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove plate and loosen couscous with a fork. Stir in lemon juice. Season to taste.

Step 5

Serve beef with couscous.

Cook’s tip

If you prefer, you can cook this in a preheated (140°C) fan-forced oven for three hours after adding the stock.

slow cooked beef cheeks with couscous and tomatoes in orange bowl — (Photography: Will Horner, Styling: Michele Cranston)

Colin Fassnidge Chef

Colin brings his signature cheeky Irish flair to Better Homes and Gardens, joining the top-rating lifestyle program during its 30th anniversary year and becoming the latest ingredient in Australia’s favourite Friday night tradition.