Beef cheek pastitsio recipe

The pastitsio is Greece's answer to a lasagne, and this recipe from Magma Soul Santorini is made with beef cheeks, pasta, and a deliciously light yet creamy tasting béchamel foam. Every delicious bite is sure to transport you to the gorgeous island of Santorini.

Ingredients

For the cheeks:

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• 1kg beef cheeks, cleaned
• 200g onions, finely chopped
• 100g carrots, cut into small cubes 
• 100g celery, cut into small cubes
• 100g leeks, chopped
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 30ml white dry wine 
• 20g ginger, sliced
• 20g tomato pulp 
• 200g demi-glace chicken broth 
• Salt/pepper 
• 40g olive oil

For the Béchamel foam:

• 50g flour
• 50g butter 
• 1 litre milk 
• Salt/white pepper

For the assembly:

• 200g cooked pasta 
• 20g butter
• 60g meat with sauce
• 20g chicken broth
• whole nutmeg
• Parmesan
• salt

Method

• Melt the butter over a medium heat.
• Add the flour and mix quickly using a hand whisk, stirring until the mixture becomes liquidy without lumps.
• Add the milk and whisk quickly.
• Pass the mixture through a blender, strain through a fine sieve, and transfer to a whipping siphon.
• Charge the mixture with 2 cartridges to create a foam (you can skip this siphon step at home).
• Mix the pasta in a pan with a little butter and salt. 
• Heat the cheeks with the sauce and add a little chicken broth. 
• Place the pasta in a deep plate, top with the cheeks and sauce, and finish with the béchamel foam.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and parmesan.

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