Red wine ox cheek rigatoni with spinach and pecorino

Read the full method and weigh the listed ingredients. Prepare the meat and vegetables as described in the ingredient list, keeping sauce, starch, garnish and working ingredients separate. Clean hands, boards and utensils after handling raw meat.

Heat the oven to 150°C fan / 170°C conventional.

Allow about 15 minutes in total, checking the oven has reached its setting.

Pat ox cheeks dry and season with the listed seasoning. Brown in uncrowded loads in a heavy pan with the listed oil, turning to colour the surfaces. Transfer to a clean plate; it will finish cooking later.

Soften onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic for 1 minute.

Add red wine, scrape the browned residue from the pan and bubble until substantially reduced.

Return ox cheeks and add stock, listed herbs. Bring to a simmer.

Bring the filled casserole to a simmer, cover and carefully transfer to the heated oven.

Cover and braise for 3–3½ hours until the meat pulls apart easily. Use tenderness rather than the clock; add listed top-up water if necessary.

Check the liquid is still moist enough; add the listed top-up water if needed and replace the lid.

Continue covered until the stated tenderness cue is reached. Extend cooking if it still resists a fork.

Check the stated readiness cue using a probe for cooked meat where specified. Carefully take the dish out and set it on a heatproof surface.

Lift out cheeks and strain the sauce, pressing lightly on vegetables. Remove herb stems and skim fat. Shred the cheeks generously and return to the glossy sauce.

Simmer uncovered until concentrated but still moist, stirring and supervising. Finish with the listed sauce vinegar and taste for seasoning.

Stir spinach into the braise until wilted.

Put the listed pasta cooking water and cooking salt in a large saucepan and start heating.

Allow the water to reach a full boil; the timer assumes a covered pan and a strong hob.

Add rigatoni to the boiling water and stir to separate. Follow its packet for the final cooking time.

Cook until just short of the packet’s al dente time; this timer is an estimate for dried pasta. Fresh pasta cooks faster.

Stir briefly, taste for doneness and extend if needed.

Reserve some starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Toss drained pasta into the finished sauce over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved pasta water gradually until coated.

Take off the heat and fold in butter and most of the pecorino. Serve with parsley and remaining cheese.