World Traveller Fuss

This forum hosts many shared gripes, but I don't understand the common hatred of beef cheek.
Pre-Do&Co, BA served a ton of fillet beef in premium cabins - a lean cut best served quite rare in most circumstances and not conducive to reheating en mass in an aircraft oven.
I think the move to cuts that can be easily reheated (and tend to do well with slow cooking) is a huge positive. Beef cheefs ex-LON, short ribs ex-North America. Qatar's LHR menu had "Duo of Beef" main in Feb this year with fillet and cheef - the cheek was much much better. Any decent homecook can knock up a delicious recipe AND it reheats well. I've tried it at home!
So, what's the fuss?
Lack of originality? It's a "weird" cut? Just prefer reheated fillet?
What would you propose instead?

World Traveller Fuss

The forum software auto-embedded a video in a weird way.

But those who want to try cooking their own slow-cooked beef (that reheats well), I'd recommend this 100%.

YacozA

My fav current BA meal ex-LON is the beef cheeks, they re-heat incredibly well and the flavour is excellent for an in-flight meal.

kdhurst380

I've had one experience with them and they were grisly. My partners one was fine. If the caterers haven't added a suitable amount of gravy or they're left in too long, then they're ruined.

I asked if there were any spare of the veggie option after, and thankfully someone had refused a meal. The crew happily obliged and I thoroughly enjoyed it (was a gnocchi in cheese sauce).

If done properly then all good - if not then it ends up being quite unenjoyable. Beef is risky.

Ldnn1

I don't think there's a general sentiment of hatred (or dislike) of them. Overall the feedback on CW main these days is reasonably good. The two main gripes seem to be:

- when sometimes overdone/undersauced (always was a problem)
- lack of variation (a more recent problem as menu rotation has reduced)

There's also a common gripe of the move from more expensive to cheaper cuts, which is indeed obviously a cost-saving measure, but if both the above were solved then that wouldn't really be an issue. It's one thing having an expensive meal badly done, it's another having a cheap one badly done - then you feel double shafted!

HIDDY

The missus loves my beef cheeks....and she's fussy.

zanderblue

just to go slightly OT……..
I wish I had gone for the beef cheeks earlier this week. Instead, I went for the pan seared cod. It was not palatable at all. Outside was crusty, inside was dry, and bottom where the skin was, was just mush (I think it had soaked up some liquid that was seeping out of the wasabi mash).It was just tasteless. Avoid it if you can, you’ve been warned.
on a brighter note the beef salad for starter was excellent, meat cooked medium rare and was tender and tasty.

csycsycsy

"Tongue in cheek", a The French Laundry now-classic
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/29/d...-the-peak.html
French Laundry at Home: "Tongue in Cheek" -- Braised Beef Cheeks and Veal Tongue with Baby Leeks and Horseradish Cream

PUCCI GALORE

Beef Cheeks are delicious - absolutely delicious and totally unfussy,

Dear OP = I suppose that I go back too far and recall the Chateaubriands, the roasts of Lamb that we roasted onboard and carved in front of the passenger in First Class. They were delicious. In Business that is not really possible given the numbers. Frankly I wish that they would bring back the Seafood options on the Special Meal options as I love Fish and it is far more easily digested. However the fish is often overdone as it can dry out which is why until that delicious Fish Pie comes back. Now that was a perfect compromise.

itsmeitisss

That and the Cottage Pie/Shepherd's Pie. Done with good beef or lamb mince and a good gravy, these would work well and be premium enough, they reheat well.

tjcxx

Do they know what to do with a White Company 'Pulse Point' stick?

TTmex

The cost point is important, but what's the point of an expensive cut that doesn't cook well on planes?

Also, price can be perceived different ways. Should BA offer Huitlacoche on a plane it would be considered fancy. I believe Gordon Ramsay charges a handsome sum for it. Serve it on Aeromexico and they'll wonder why you're serving cheap street food. Price doesn't tell the whole story of quality and taste

Agent69

I've often wondered at what point in time did it became acceptable, let alone desirable, to eat the cheeks of a cow.

I've never been offered these on a BA flight, but would probably give it a go if available.

TTmex

I more worried about who, many hundreds of years ago, initially felt the urge to milk a cow and then drink the product. What a discovery

Jagboi

Similarly, who would have though that drinking what's leftover after grapes have rotted was a good thing?