Beef Cheek

Season beef cheek with salt and pepper. Place a heavy pan that is just large enough to hold the cheek over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the cheek and sear until it is nice and brown on one side. [Go for a real deep brown; not burnt, but dark brown.] Flip the cheek over and sear the other side the same way. A nice dark brown is important for flavor reasons: The color means deep, rich flavor.

Remove the cheek from the pan and let it rest on a plate while you cook the veggies. Pour out the spent oil in the pan and add a tablespoon or a little more of olive oil. Heat the pan again over medium heat and add minced vegetables, garlic and thyme, cooking until they brown slightly. Put the cheek on top of the veggies and add wine. If the cheek is not completely covered by wine, add a little water. Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer. [Very low heat is important here: The liquid should just be moving with small bubbles.] After 4 hours, check for doneness. It should be very tender and falling apart; if not, cook it a little longer. When done, take the cheek out of the liquid and let it cool until you can touch it without burning yourself. Return the pan to heat and reduce the sauce by half. Pull the meat apart into smallish pieces and return to the pan; adjust the seasoning.

Leeks

Cut leek in half lengthwise, cut into 2-inch long pieces and wash well to remove any dirt. Put the leeks and chicken stock into a pot just large enough to hold them. Turn heat to high and cook until very tender. Leave them in the liquid until needed.

Mashed Potatoes

Cook whole, unpeeled potatoes in plenty of salted water in a medium-large pan. Heat milk in a separate pan. When potatoes are done, drain them, peel them, and put them back into the pan they were cooked in, over low heat. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, beat the potatoes until nicely pureed. [There will be some lumps, but that’s OK.] Add milk and butter a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. [Don’t be afraid that you are adding too much butter, as this is what makes mashed potatoes so darn good.] Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Filets

Preheat oven to 475°. Season filets with salt and pepper. Heat a pan on high and add olive oil. When the oil is smoking, sear the filets on one side until nicely browned. Turn filets over, pour the oil out, and top each filet with a pat of butter. Cook in the oven until desired doneness, basting the filets every so often with the butter and juices while they are cooking. Serving

Put a scoop of potatoes on a plate and top with ¼ of the beef cheek mixture (reserving some of the liquid). Repeat with 3 more plates. Divide the leeks among the plates, laying them on top of the cheek mixture. Lay a filet on top of the leeks, and finally, spoon some of the cheek sauce over all.