Pork Cheeks Recipes

CIDER-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Season both sides of pork cheeks with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and press it into the meat to coat thoroughly.
• Heat clarified butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear meat on both sides until richly browned, adjusting heat lower if necessary. When cheeks are browned, reduce heat to medium. Transfer cheeks to a plate to rest.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery to skillet. Cook and stir until softened and sweet, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour in the cider and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Add sage and rosemary. Reduce heat to low and transfer cheeks back to pan. Cover. Cook until fork tender but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the pork cheeks. Transfer to a plate.
• Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, skimming off fat as it rises to the surface. Reduce volume of liquid by about 60 to 70%. Sauce will start to thicken up. Taste for salt and season as needed. Transfer cheeks back to liquid. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until cheeks are heated through and tender and sauce is thick enough to coat cheeks.

SHERRY BRAISED PORK CHEEKS WITH ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• In a large casserole dish, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until it starts to smoke.
• Roll the pork cheeks in the flour and shake the excess flour off. Fry the cheeks in small batches, until golden brown. It takes about 3 minutes on each side. Drain the pork cheeks on kitchen paper and set aside.
• In the same casserole dish, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil if needed and fry on a medium heat the chopped onions, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to pull off the caramelisation made when frying the cheeks and fry the chopped vegetables until the mix develops a light golden brown colour. About 8 minutes.
• Return the pork cheeks to the casserole dish, add the sprigs of thyme, season the cheeks with salt and pepper.Pour in the sherry and cook on a high heat for 2 minutes until the sherry has reduced slightly. Pour in the beef stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, for the mashed potatoes, put the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.
• For the roasted garlic, place the garlic cloves on a baking tray with a small drizzle of olive oil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190˚C/375˚F/Gas Mark 5 for 15 minutes or until soft. Allow the garlic cloves to cool down. Use the tip of your finger to press the garlic flesh out of its skin, finely chop all the flesh until you have a smooth purée.
• Drain and return the potatoes to the pan over the heat to remove any excess moisture. Mash well, add the butter, olive oil and the chopped roasted garlic and beat to a smooth purée. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the crispy shallots, dip the shallot rings in the milk and roll in the flour until well coated. Heat the oil in a medium size frying pan and fry the shallot rings until golden brown on both sides. About 3 minutes.
• To serve, put a spoonful of the mash potato in a serving bowl, place the pig cheeks on top and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with some fried shallot rings.

SHERRY-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Heat 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan then add the onion. Cook gently for 10 - 15 minutes until softened and lighty coloured. Remove and set aside.
• Toss the cheeks in the seasoned flour. Add a little more oil to the pan and turn up the heat. Brown the pork cheeks all over in batches. Turn the heat down to medium.
• Return all the pork and the reserved onions to the pan. Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for a minute, then pour in the sherry. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and mix in all the flavours.
• Pour in the beef stock then bring the pan to a simmer. Simmer gently for 2 hours or until the cheeks are tender.
• Scatter with parsley leaves and flaked almonds. Serve with rice or buttery mashed potato.

BRAISED IBERIAN PORK CHEEK WITH PORT WINE AND HONEY

Steps:

• Smash the garlic in a mortar and pestle and add in the thyme, honey, parsley and a tablespoon of water. Continue to smash some more until you achieve a nice paste.
• Pat the pork cheeks completely dry with paper towels and then cover the pork cheeks with the paste and season with kosher salt and pepper. Let them marinate for at least an hour before cooking.
• After allowing them to absorb the flavors for about an hour, quickly dredge the pork cheeks in flour (they shouldn't be coated in flour, just a hint should remain).
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan on a medium high heat.
• Sear the pork cheeks (about 30 seconds per each of its 3-4 sides) until all sides are browned.
• After each cheek is seared, remove from the pan and reserve.
• Dice the onion and red pepper to a small dice.
• Peel the shallots and cut each one in half.
• Cut the carrots into thin round slices.
• Transfer the oil used to sear the meat into a large, heavy pot. Add a little more oil if necessary to completely cover the bottom about 1 cm.
• On a low heat, sauté the onions, peppers, shallots and carrots for 15 minutes.
• When the vegetables are golden, add the pork cheek and the 2 cups of port wine (any port will do, although there are various varieties of port wine and each will leave you with a slightly different dish)
• Add the bay leaf and, over a medium heat, allow everything to reduce 50%, about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir while it is reducing or it will stick.
• Peel the potatoes (if using large potatoes cut them into bite size chunks).
• Peel the apple and dice it to a medium dice.
• Add the beef stock to the pot and cook over a low heat for about 1.5 hours, until the carrilladas are completely tender. Twenty minutes before taking it off the heat add the potatoes and apple to the pot.
• When everything is fork tender, take off the heat and serve.

PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Add the mirepoix. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Place the cheeks on top of the vegetables and add enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil.
• Place the pan in the oven. Braise cheeks for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the cheeks to a bowl. (Reserve cooking liquid.) Remove any fat and shred the meat using 2 forks. Sprinkle with salt.
• When the meat is cool enough to handle, use a little cooking liquid to form into 2- to 3-inch ''sausages.''
• Wrap each sausage in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• To serve, unwrap the sausages and slice each into four pieces. Brush the flat ends of each slice with a thin coat of mustard and then lightly coat with cornmeal.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. In batches, saute each slice until crisp and lightly browned.