The perfect “low and slow” way to cook pork cheeks, a cheap cut of meat with huge flavour. Dress it up as a dinner party main course or serve as a casual dinner with the family.
I don’t know about you, but I love meat that has been cooked low and slow, the result being tender meat in a rich umami sauce. Either served alongside butter mash potato or simple butter enriched rice.
Spending years reading food articles and books by Nigel Slater, one of my favourite food writers, or watching the vast array of TV chefs all talking about ingredients like lamb shank, beef brisket, shin of beef, the list goes on. Anyone taking notice would have recognised the price hike, both butchers and supermarkets alike, slapped on to these cheap cuts after a recipe was aired on TV. Very frustrating but it also meant that they became more accessible as their popularity grew.
Here in Spain, these cuts of meat are still relatively cheap, and I must say far better quality than those found in the UK – unless you are sourcing your ingredients from a local farm shop or quality butcher. I will confess at this point that back in the UK I was also guilty of regularly buying meat from the supermarkets, I know everyone can attest to it being way more convenient. If I was planning a dinner party, inviting friends or family for dinner, or cooking for a special occasion then I also took advantage of the numerous specialist online mail-order sites. The bonus of using many of these “online butchers” is that they will tell you exactly how and where the animals were reared. So I knew exactly which farm I was getting my lamb or beef from.
Food provenance is no less of a priority now, and the butchers I use takes great joy in informing me where the meat came from and always gives recommendations on what’s good, on offer or in season each time I see him.
I first encountered Braised Pork Cheeks on a “Menú del día” at a little beachfront restaurant in Santiago de la Ribera. Although I give credit to Graham and Claire, visiting from France, who introduced us to the restaurant whilst they were there on their holidays.
I won’t dive too deeply into the history of the “Menú del día” here, but its inception is widely credited to General Franco. Effectively a fixed price 2 or 3-course menu, with wine or beer included, that is normally served at lunchtime but often extends into late afternoon. The typical Spanish lunchtime starts around 2 pm. The price does vary but can often be found for as little as €5 and you will rarely see anything over €14, the latter more common in tourist areas but would then consist of burgers, ham and eggs, etc. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with either, they’re not particularly Spanish are they?
But getting back to my story I was very, very happy when I read the menu. I had always wanted to cook with pork cheeks but it’s not something I ever saw in the butchers or supermarkets and for reasons unknown I hadn’t gotten around to ordering from any online stores.
To start was a simple fresh salad, typical Mediterranean ingredients; I had to take the cucumber and olives off for my partner who hates it with a passion. Then the braised pork cheeks served with a bowl of chips but that didn’t deter me as the chips meant I had something to mop up the leftover sauce with. That was it. A plate and a pork cheek smothered in a glossy brown sauce with sliced onions and diced carrots that were rapidly sliding down the side of the main event.
I remember looking up from my plate about halfway through, my partner was just staring at me, apparently, I was eating it rather enthusiastically. I’ll save the puns for your own ideation. It was fantastic though and I can still remember the sense of joy and satisfaction to this day.
Sadly, due to the pandemic restrictions we’re all enduring, and the fact the menu changes daily I haven’t been back since. But I promise I will. For the next few weeks, I was telling anybody that would listen to me. What struck me though was that very few people had tried it and largely the reception of my delightful lunchtime encounter was negative, curled noses or a polite “not for me”. That’s fine with me, it’s their loss as far as I’m concerned.
Since first eating this dish in a little beachfront restaurant by the Mar Menor, I’ve been hankering to try and recreate it. Unfortunately, like so many things, I just haven’t achieved. Until now.
On a side note, I now have a list of all the dishes I’ve tried and loved, haven’t cooked before, or simply want to put a bit of Spanish twist on.
During a recent visit to a newly opened local supermarket, I spotted pork cheeks: Carrilladas. My first, second, maybe the third attempt too – you get the idea – wasn’t a huge success, they all lacked that depth of flavour that I loved so much at Marazul. Then I noticed that a lot of Spanish stews or dishes call for Sherry. Jackpot! That proved to be the special ingredient that really brought this dish alive and took me back to that first time I tried it.
This dish was right up there at the top of my list and after experimenting with the ingredients, reviewing and testing so many variations that my partner was getting sick of it, I’ve finally created a recipe I’m happy with. This recipe does call for Iberico pork but I know it isn’t readily available in the UK so regular pork will do, but if you can find it via then you’ll surely benefit. Iberico pork comes from the Pata Negra black-hoofed pigs that are native to Spain and typically fed on a diet high in fatty acorns and nuts, plus the flavorful grasses of the Dehesa. The meat itself is very similar to Wagu with its beautiful marbling of fat. But as always, get the best and freshest ingredients you can find and afford.
Whilst I can’t give you the idyllic beachside view, I am very happy to share my recipe for Sherry Braised Pork Cheeks. I truly hope you give this a try.
I would recommend serving with a rich buttery mustard mashed potato, mashed butter beans and garlic, rice or like my first experience a simple side of salted chips. Whatever your preference I know you’re going to love this one.
My photography skills are sadly nowhere near as refined as my cooking ability, so apologies for the photos. I promise I’m working on it.
Buen Provecho!
