RCP: Cider-Braised Pork Cheeks

Seeing the thread on meat wool, which brought up pork cheeks, here is a recipe I like. It uses whole pork cheek, rather than thinly-sliced, but it's worth trying if you can find them (one of the butchers at the St Lawrence Market in Toronto sells pork cheeks, as well as beef cheeks).

Cider-Braised Pork Cheeks

Courtesy of Chef John at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/247095/cider-braised-pork-cheeks/ (halved and slightly modified)

Yield: 2 generous servings

1 lb pork cheeks (about 4 4-oz cheeks)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup all-purpose flour for dredging, or as needed
1 Tbsp clarified butter
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cups hard apple cider
1 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 Tbsp beurre manier (optional)

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 more if less than 2 Tbsp). Add onions, carrots, and celery to skillet. Cook and stir until softened and sweet, seasoning with a pinch of salt., and stirring in 1 Tbsp flour 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. If necessary, stir in beurre manier to further thicken the sauce. 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.

[Jenise]

Would that we have a real butcher who breaks down his own meats! We do not, unfortunately. I've never in my life seen a raw pork cheek. I would kill for that, also for things like pork shanks. I've had them in restaurants but never been able to buy them for cooking myself.

Lovely sounding recipe--in fact, I was going to be looking for something similar next month when I'm cooking for a cognac tasting. This would be excellent and I thank you for posting! But alas the thin strips of pork cheek I have are too thin for braising--I'll bet this would work well with thick chunks of tenderloin, though.

We don't see pork cheeks or shanks around here, but the local supermarket does have pig's trotters occasionally.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

What do people do with them? On this coast, they're frequently in Mexican markets for pickling, a preparation I grew up with and love. Ordered a terrine made of them in a French restaurant in Napa once, too--and that's it. I've never ever seen pigs' feet used by anyone else any other way.

There's a restaurant in the Halle region of Paris called Au Pied de Cochon that specializes in pig's trotters, mostly fried. They're equally famous for their fruits de mer platter.

I have a few recipes that involve pig's trotters, but as a source of collagen, not to be eaten.

-Paul W.

Saigon Market in Manchester NH has a whole bunch of pig parts at their fresh meat counter: tail, shank, intestines, stomach, heart, skin, ears, and snout. No cheeks, though.

-Paul W.