You'll love this pork cheeks recipe, it's melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Succulent pork cheeks are slow-cooked with chicken stock, red wine, onions, and garlic until they are fork-tender. This meal is a true delicacy served with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta so it's the perfect meal for special occasion dinners or cozy weeknights!
You will also love this oxtail pasta. Oxtail is a special cut of meat, just like the pork cheek!
Pork cheeks are an inexpensive cut of pork that is truly spectacular when slow-cooked in a simple braising liquid. After a couple of hours, this lean and tough meat is transformed into a tender and juicy pork dinner using less than 10 pantry staple ingredients.
While this meal takes a while to cook it is truly worth the wait! If you are craving a cozy and comforting meal, this simple and easy pork cheeks recipe is just the dinner for you! It's rich and hearty but also inexpensive and delicious enough to make any time you have pork cheeks on hand!
Recipe ingredients
Pork cheeks. You'll want to use cheek meat for this recipe and not pork jowls. The jowl is a larger and fatter cut of meat. Make sure to clean and trim away any sinews from the meat before seasoning. This tough fibrous tissue will still be chewy even after cooking, so it's important to remove it beforehand.
Onion and garlic. Key to any great slow-cooked meat. Both ingredients add a ton of flavor to the braising liquid and the meat.
Red wine. Deepens the flavor of the sauce and it helps to deglaze the pan getting all the browned bits from the meat and into the sauce. Wine also aids in tenderizing the meat making it even more delicious.
Chicken or beef stock. Used to braise the pork cheeks while adding flavor to the meat. Chicken stock will give the cheeks a lighter flavor than beef, but either one is delicious!
Bay leaves. Add a subtle flavor of oregano and thyme to the sauce.
Optional. Garnish with fresh chopped thyme or rosemary if desired.
How to cook pork cheeks
First, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the pork cheeks to season them well.
Next, grab a pot and warm up some olive oil in it over a medium-high heat. Cook the pork cheeks in the pot until they get a nice brown color on all sides, then take them out and put them aside for a bit.
Don't clean the pot yet! In that same pot, throw in some chopped onion and garlic. Cook them until they're soft and smell good. Then, pour in some wine into the pot. As you pour, gently scrape the bottom of the pot with a spoon. This gets all the tasty bits off the bottom and into the sauce.
Now, it's time to put the pork cheeks back into the pot. Add some stock (like chicken or beef), a couple of bay leaves, and any other herbs you like. Let everything warm up until it starts to simmer gently, then cover the pot with a lid. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook slowly for about 2 to 3 hours. You'll know it's done when the pork cheeks are really tender.
Once the pork cheeks are cooked, take them out of the pot. You have an option here: if you want a smoother sauce, you can strain it to remove any bits. Then, if you like, let the sauce cook a bit longer on its own to make it thicker.
Finally, serve the pork cheeks with the delicious sauce you just made. Enjoy your meal!
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Substitutions
Pork cheeks. If you are having trouble finding pork cheeks in your area try substituting with 4-5 lbs of pork shoulder, pork knuckles, or pork chops instead. Just make sure to cut it into more manageable pieces. Pork steaks will also work great in this recipe.
Stock. Either beef or chicken stock stock can be used in this recipe. Most of the flavor of this recipe comes from the stock so make sure to use one that you love the flavor of. Homemade or store-bought stock is totally fine, just make sure you are using a low-sodium variety so your dish doesn't become overly salty.
Onions and garlic. You can substitute fresh garlic for jarred minced garlic, and the onion for a red onion or a couple of shallots. I would avoid using onion or garlic powder for this recipe because the fresh vegetables add a ton of flavor to this dish.
Side dishes.
Mashed Potatoes: Creamy and buttery mashed potatoes make an excellent pair with the savory pork cheeks. The smooth texture of the potatoes complements the meat's tenderness.
Polenta: Soft and creamy polenta is another great option. It can soak up the sauce from the pork cheeks, enhancing its flavor.
Roasted Vegetables: A mix of roasted vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts can add a sweet and earthy flavor to your meal, balancing the richness of the pork. Or try this delicious Southern fried corn. Made with bacon and will accompany this braised pork cheeks really well.
Green Salad: A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette can add a fresh contrast to the dish, cutting through the richness of the meat. If you like cabbage, you should this Turkish red cabbage salad.
Sautéed Greens: Greens such as spinach, kale, or Swiss chard, sautéed with a little garlic and olive oil, provide a healthy and flavorful side.
Variations
Add chopped vegetables like carrots, celery, and potatoes to make a one-pot meal. This cowboy crockpot stew is a fantastic one pot recipe!
Thicken the sauce by using all-purpose flour or cornstarch. Make sure to first coat the cheeks in flour before searing. Add your cornstarch slurry to the braising liquid then cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Instead of using vegetable oil or olive oil to sear the cheek meat use pancetta or bacon fat to add a smoky and even more savory flavor to this dish!
Frequently asked questions
The pork cheek is the meat located in the cheek of the pig, right below the eyes.
The pork jowl is a large cut of meat in the head of the pig and the cheek is a smaller cut of meat located above the jowl. Cheek meat is lean and tough, while jowl meat is fatty and tender and it's used to make guanciale or an Italian cured meat.
Since pork cheeks are a tough cut of meat, it's best to cook it low and slow until it is easier and more delicious to eat. Quick cooking methods are not recommended so this could be a reason why your meat turns out tough and chewy.
More offal recipes
Hope you will like this pork cheeks recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Recipe
Braised Pork Cheeks
Ingredients
- 4 pork cheeks cleaned and trimmed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef or chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Optional: Fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary
Instructions
- Season pork cheeks with salt and pepper.
- In a pot, heat olive oil over medium-high. Sear pork cheeks until browned, then set aside.
- In the same pot, cook onion and garlic until soft. Add wine to the pot, scraping any bits off the bottom.
- Put pork cheeks back in. Add stock, bay leaves, and herbs if using. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours until tender.
- Remove pork cheeks. Optionally, strain and reduce the sauce.Serve pork cheeks with the sauce.
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