Best meal ever...Pigs Cheek
Discussion
Well last night, celebrating a new page in our lives, my wife to be and I went to The Kensington Arms for dinner.
Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
We had pig's cheeks couple of years ago at Hotel du Vin, they were outstanding. Didn't think about sourcing them at the time - let me know how you get on!
BTW, didn't realise the Kensington Arms was Michelin starred? Only been there once when a friend of mine worked there in the kitchen. Wasn't hugely impressed, should give it another go.
BTW, didn't realise the Kensington Arms was Michelin starred? Only been there once when a friend of mine worked there in the kitchen. Wasn't hugely impressed, should give it another go.
neil_bolton said:
Well last night, celebrating a new page in our lives, my wife to be and I went to The Kensington Arms for dinner.
Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
How was it cooked??Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
OzzyR1 said:
neil_bolton said:
Well last night, celebrating a new page in our lives, my wife to be and I went to The Kensington Arms for dinner.
Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
How was it cooked??Already one of our favourite restaurants, a michelin starred pub food restaurant, we went anticipating our next choices.
I'm just going to say one thing as a result:
Pig's Cheek.
Simply the best thing I've ever tasted.
All the other stuff was nice, but the Pig's cheek was to die for.
I'll be off this week to find some to cook myself (and book in for a heartattack next year).
Lovely
Amused to see pigs cheek on a Michelin menu; I remember eating it as a kid. It was roasted and eaten cold. A bit like cold roast belly pork with quite a high fat-to-meat ratio. I think the dish was also known as 'chap' or 'chaps'. It was tasty but then I hadn't heard of cholesterol then. I vividly remember the the pigs bared teeth where the skin had shrunk back through the roasting.
Pork fat gets a bad rap.
Wiki said:
By the late 20th century, lard had begun to be considered less healthy than vegetable oils (such as olive and sunflower oil) because of its high saturated fatty acid and cholesterol content. However, despite its reputation, lard has less saturated fat, more unsaturated fat, and less cholesterol than an equal amount of butter by weight.
ritmo said:
Amused to see pigs cheek on a Michelin menu; I remember eating it as a kid. It was roasted and eaten cold. A bit like cold roast belly pork with quite a high fat-to-meat ratio. I think the dish was also known as 'chap' or 'chaps'. It was tasty but then I hadn't heard of cholesterol then. I vividly remember the the pigs bared teeth where the skin had shrunk back through the roasting.
Indeed it was refered to chap - Bath Chap to be exact.Slow-braised pigs' cheeks with parsnip purée
* 4 pigs' cheeks, trimmed of fat
* flour, for dusting
* olive oil, for frying
* 2 onions, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1/2 leek, outside leaves removed, washed and cut into 1 cm cubes
* 1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes
* 2 sticks celery, cut into 1 cm cubes
* 1 clove garlic, sliced
* 100g tomato purée
* 1/2 bottle dry red wine
* 300ml brown stock, or enough to cover
* 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
* 2 tsp caraway seeds
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 slices pancetta, fried until crisp
For the parsnip puree
* 10 parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes
* 200ml milk
* 50g unsalted butter
For the carrots
* 4 large carrots, cut into ¼cm x 12cm sticks
* knob of butter
Method:
1. For the pigs' cheeks: season the pigs' cheeks and dust with a little flour. Heat some olive oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the cheeks until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onions, leek, celery, carrots and garlic and fry gently until lightly browned. Add the tomato purée and a little of the red wine. Reduce until the tomato purée starts to caramelise and darken. Carry on adding the wine in stages, reducing between each addition until the sauce is rich and dark.
3. Preheat the oven to 140C/gas 1.
4. Return the cheeks to the pan and add pour over just enough brown stock to cover. Add the peppercorns, caraway seeds and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours. Stir every hour or so, adding a little more brown stock if it starts looking dry.
6. Remove the cheeks and pass the sauce through muslin into a clean pan. Bring to the boil and reduce to a good consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
7. For the parsnip puree: put the parsnips in a pan with the milk and the same quantity of water. Bring to the boil and cook until very tender.
8. Put the parsnips in a blender with a little of the cooking liquid and the butter. Blend for about 10 minutes, until very smooth. Season.
9. For the carrots: boil the carrots in salted water until just tender. Drain and refresh in iced water. Warm through with a knob of butter before serving.
10. To serve, put a spoonful of parsnip purée on the plate. Cut a cheek at an angle and arrange on top. Pile on some carrot batons and balance a crisp slice of pancetta on top.
* 4 pigs' cheeks, trimmed of fat
* flour, for dusting
* olive oil, for frying
* 2 onions, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1/2 leek, outside leaves removed, washed and cut into 1 cm cubes
* 1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes
* 2 sticks celery, cut into 1 cm cubes
* 1 clove garlic, sliced
* 100g tomato purée
* 1/2 bottle dry red wine
* 300ml brown stock, or enough to cover
* 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
* 2 tsp caraway seeds
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 slices pancetta, fried until crisp
For the parsnip puree
* 10 parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes
* 200ml milk
* 50g unsalted butter
For the carrots
* 4 large carrots, cut into ¼cm x 12cm sticks
* knob of butter
Method:
1. For the pigs' cheeks: season the pigs' cheeks and dust with a little flour. Heat some olive oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the cheeks until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onions, leek, celery, carrots and garlic and fry gently until lightly browned. Add the tomato purée and a little of the red wine. Reduce until the tomato purée starts to caramelise and darken. Carry on adding the wine in stages, reducing between each addition until the sauce is rich and dark.
3. Preheat the oven to 140C/gas 1.
4. Return the cheeks to the pan and add pour over just enough brown stock to cover. Add the peppercorns, caraway seeds and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours. Stir every hour or so, adding a little more brown stock if it starts looking dry.
6. Remove the cheeks and pass the sauce through muslin into a clean pan. Bring to the boil and reduce to a good consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
7. For the parsnip puree: put the parsnips in a pan with the milk and the same quantity of water. Bring to the boil and cook until very tender.
8. Put the parsnips in a blender with a little of the cooking liquid and the butter. Blend for about 10 minutes, until very smooth. Season.
9. For the carrots: boil the carrots in salted water until just tender. Drain and refresh in iced water. Warm through with a knob of butter before serving.
10. To serve, put a spoonful of parsnip purée on the plate. Cut a cheek at an angle and arrange on top. Pile on some carrot batons and balance a crisp slice of pancetta on top.
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