Got another batch of rich, meaty soup on the go. I've cooked up some more beef cheeks: one was cut in half to better fit in the crock pot, ergo those parts cooked quicker. I used the same liquid as last time, equal portions of tomato-based pasta sauce and water.
The meat is virtually fat-free so very little fat-skimming will be needed when the stock is chilled.
The meat itself is falling apart when touched (when it's hot) and it seens to toughen up when it cools. That's due to the gelatinous nature of the sinew in the meat. It's gelatinous when heated & chewy when cooled but a quick blast in a microwave soon softens it up. Intense beef flavour throughout the mass of meat and in the stock as well.