Vietnamese Braised Beef Cheek with Fragrant rice and Vietnamese Salad

Steps

1. Finely dice onion and grate carrot and mince garlic and ginger. Heat sesame oil in a medium pot on medium heat. Cook onion, carrot, garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes until starting to soften. Add Vietnamese spices and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, fish sauce and soy sauce.
2. Add entire contents of beef cheek to pot with veggies and broth and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to low and cover with a lid, cook for about 20 minutes, mixing every so often, until cheek is tender and heated through.
3. While beef cooks, combine rice, water, salt and lemongrass stalk in a small pot and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce to lowest heat to cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to steam for 8 minutes. Do not lift lid during cooking.
4. While rice and beef cook, peel cucumber into ribbons and place in a bowl along with mung bean sprouts. Toss with lime juice just before serving and season to taste. Cut other half of lime into wedges for serving.
5. When beef is soft, use forks to pull beef cheek apart so you end up with about 4 pieces. When rice is cooked, discard lemongrass and fluff up grains with a fork.
6. To serve, divide fragrant rice between plates and top with Vietnamese braised beef cheek. Serve with a handful of Vietnamese salad and sprinkle over peanut, sesame and shallot crunch. Pick coriander and sprinkle over top. Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing.