Discussion
Looking for ideas, as I'd added some pig cheeks to my Xmas meat order and the time has come to cook them..
I've got one recipe, from the Turner and George website where I ordered them, that sounds pretty tasty but wondering if there are other suggestions. The recipe I have is here - https://www.turnerandgeorge.co.uk/pigs-cheeks.html
I've got one recipe, from the Turner and George website where I ordered them, that sounds pretty tasty but wondering if there are other suggestions. The recipe I have is here - https://www.turnerandgeorge.co.uk/pigs-cheeks.html
That recipe is not far off one I'm just about to ask a relative about, who happens to be a chef and Spanish.
From memory its pigs cheeks slow braised with sherry, he cooked it for us a few years back and it was fantastic.
I'll post it up later if I can understand enough of his Spanish (he speaks little English and will have been on the vino already)
From memory its pigs cheeks slow braised with sherry, he cooked it for us a few years back and it was fantastic.
I'll post it up later if I can understand enough of his Spanish (he speaks little English and will have been on the vino already)
I flour and sear the pork cheeks, then make a mirepoix (soften leek carrot and celery with butter) in a frying pan. Add a chopped onion, cook till translucent. Peel a couple of apples and cube, throw into pan. season with a teaspoon of coriander powder and some mustard seeds. A few bruised juniper berries can be nice.
Add a couple glugs of lea & perrins if you like. Then pour a pint to a pint and a half of decent cider (I like the Westons stuff that Morrisons do as an own brand bag-in-box), wave a match or lighter over it to burn off the alcohol as it bubbles.
Then throw the whole load into the slow-cooker and cook until done (six hours ish). Remove the cheeks carefully so they don't fall apart too much, into the remaining sauce stir in a teaspoon or two of English mustard.This will thicken the sauce and make it quite creamy. Finish with coarse black pepper and adjust salt if necessary. If you have any knocking around, a little fresh tarragon at this point will add fragrance that will elevate the dish beautifully - although if you used the juniper I'd leave it out. Either/Or. Then serve with steamed new potatoes or mash, and if you can get any of those mixed woodland mushrooms, some of those sautéed in garlic butter and finished with finely chopped fresh parsley will add an extra seasonal, earthy vibe to the plate.
Oh yeah this would be using maybe nine cheeks to serve three people. They're quite small lumps of meat once they're cooked, 3 cheeks each would work out between 250-300g uncooked weight per person. When working out how much cider to use, you want there to be enough moisture to come to the top of the other ingredients in the slow cooker, but not too much extra as the meat and other ingredients will shed moisture during cooking and you don't want too much liquid in there. If you do end up with too much moisture try leaving the lid off for the last hour.
Add a couple glugs of lea & perrins if you like. Then pour a pint to a pint and a half of decent cider (I like the Westons stuff that Morrisons do as an own brand bag-in-box), wave a match or lighter over it to burn off the alcohol as it bubbles.
Then throw the whole load into the slow-cooker and cook until done (six hours ish). Remove the cheeks carefully so they don't fall apart too much, into the remaining sauce stir in a teaspoon or two of English mustard.This will thicken the sauce and make it quite creamy. Finish with coarse black pepper and adjust salt if necessary. If you have any knocking around, a little fresh tarragon at this point will add fragrance that will elevate the dish beautifully - although if you used the juniper I'd leave it out. Either/Or. Then serve with steamed new potatoes or mash, and if you can get any of those mixed woodland mushrooms, some of those sautéed in garlic butter and finished with finely chopped fresh parsley will add an extra seasonal, earthy vibe to the plate.
Oh yeah this would be using maybe nine cheeks to serve three people. They're quite small lumps of meat once they're cooked, 3 cheeks each would work out between 250-300g uncooked weight per person. When working out how much cider to use, you want there to be enough moisture to come to the top of the other ingredients in the slow cooker, but not too much extra as the meat and other ingredients will shed moisture during cooking and you don't want too much liquid in there. If you do end up with too much moisture try leaving the lid off for the last hour.
Edited by vsonix on Friday 22 December 14:38
Edited by vsonix on Friday 22 December 14:42
This is pretty close to what I'm thinking of.
https://recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/main-cour...
really hearty winter fodder
https://recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/main-cour...
really hearty winter fodder
sgrimshaw said:
vsonix said:
I like the Westons stuff that Morrisons do as an own brand bag-in-box
What is this you speak of?Is it Westons Vintage in there?
KungFuPanda said:
£13 a kilo?!?! I thought offal was meant to be cheap. You can get pork leg for £3 a kilo at the moment.
Once again, try Morrisons. About fiver a kilo last time I bought them. I wouldn't call cheeks 'offal' though, much like oxtail or ox cheeks it's a fairly fashionable thing nowadays and not really offal-tasting like you would expect liver, kidney, tripe and other more visceral bits would be.
I usually put them in stew based on this recipe (scaled up), simple but very tasty.
http://www.theskintfoodie.com/blog/pork-cheek-chor...
I tend to add some tomato puree and a teaspoon of paprika to the onions once softened and cook it out for a few minutes.
Have also smoked them for about an hour before putting then into a deeply flavoured red wine braise for a few hours.
http://www.theskintfoodie.com/blog/pork-cheek-chor...
I tend to add some tomato puree and a teaspoon of paprika to the onions once softened and cook it out for a few minutes.
Have also smoked them for about an hour before putting then into a deeply flavoured red wine braise for a few hours.
Some great suggestions, and I probably have half the kilo to cook today, or when it gets defrosted until the new year..
I went with half quantities with the recipe I had to hand, using some red wine instead of vinegar, simmered in a heavy pot for a few hours. Served with rice, it tasted pretty good - the pig cheeks were falling apart.
I went with half quantities with the recipe I had to hand, using some red wine instead of vinegar, simmered in a heavy pot for a few hours. Served with rice, it tasted pretty good - the pig cheeks were falling apart.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff