I was persuaded into the purchase by the butcher at the amazing Ginger Pig in Borough Market, London, who always tries to push me out of my comfort zone when it comes to my choice of meat. He sold them to me claiming that they were a cheap, versatile cut and absolutely bursting with flavour. He told me that if I slow cooked them, they’d simply fall apart into silky smooth strands, and they sure did. I can’t even describe the sumptuous sweet, meaty smell that came floating out of my kitchen that afternoon, and the best thing was the whole dish was pretty much effortless to achieve. I chose to pair them with simple complimentary flavours (mustard, apples, bay) so that their deep and rich meaty earthiness would be the centrepiece of the dish.
Ingredients
6 pork cheeks
Flour to dust cheeks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cooking apple, peeled and cubed
Half a white onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 bottle of dry cider
2 dried bay leaves
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Parsley and couscous or chunky bread to serve
Preparation
1. Dust the pork cheeks with flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and once hot, brown the cheeks on both sides.
3. Remove from the pan and sautee the onions, adding a little bit of butter if necessary.
4. Try and loosen everything from the bottom of the pan.
5. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic, sweet potato and apple.
6. Stir continuously before adding the cider.
7. Bring the cider to a boil, and once bubbling, reduce to a simmer.
8. Add the pork to the cider with the mustard and bay leaves and cover with a lid.
9. Simmer for at least 3 hours or until the meat is falling apart.
10. Serve with fresh parsley and cous cous.
Credit: Foodista