Chicken, turkey, beef, there are many different meats to choose from, from which you can prepare delicious, filling and healthy dinners. However, it is also worth reaching for slightly less known but equally tasty types. One of them are pork cheeks, although somewhat forgotten and sidelined, slowly gaining the favor of an increasing number of people.
Pork cheeks are appreciated not only by connoisseurs, they are increasingly used when preparing home-made dinners. Their greatest advantage is their extremely deep aromawhich is released during thermal processing, creating naturally thick and shiny sauces. What exactly is this meat?
Pork cheeks come from the facial part of the animal. These are small, compact pieces of the jaw muscle that work extremely intensively during the life of the pig. It is to this constant activity that they owe their unique structure, they are densely overgrown with connective tissue and collagen, which makes them ideal for long stewing.
Currently, a kilogram of raw pork cheeks costs from approximately PLN 40 to PLN 60. The price depends on, among others: on the degree of cleaning, quality of meat and place of purchase.
When eating meat for dinner, many people wonder whether it is healthy. Pork cheeks themselves have a lot of nutritional value, and combined with vegetables they can constitute a perfectly balanced meal that many people will enjoy. The greatest advantage of this meat is its high content of complete protein okay 20 g per 100 g product. Moreover, it is not a very high-calorie meat, because in 100 g it contains approx. 170 kcal.
In addition, pork cheeks are a good source of B vitamins and many minerals, including: iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium and potassium. They also contain a lot of valuable amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
This is specific meat – rich in collagen, which, when properly processed, turns into gelatin and gives the dish a velvety structuremaking each bite literally melt in your mouth. Regardless of the recipe you choose, remember a few rules that will allow you to prepare this meat perfectly. First of all, always start by removing the hard membranes. Then the meat should be briefly but intensively fried in very hot fat. After frying, most of the flavor remains at the bottom of the dish. Don’t waste it – pour wine, broth or water into the pan, scraping up the sediment, and add this liquid to the base. Remember that preparing the cheeks takes time: simmering or baking at a low temperature allows the muscle fibers to soften and the sauce to thicken naturally.
They can be served with various additions – herbs, mushrooms or fruit – depending on your preferences. The best accompaniment to this meat is velvety mashed potatoeswhich absorbs the sauce perfectly. Groats (e.g. pearl barley or unroasted buckwheat) and traditional Silesian dumplings or dumplings will work equally well. Cheeks go perfectly with root vegetables: roasted carrots, parsley or celery. For contrast, it is worth serving them with something crunchy, e.g. blanched green beans. Below we present the perfect recipe for delicate cheeks, which will be a great option for a family dinner.
The recipe for pork cheeks in dark sauce will make 4 servings (two per person), if you want to prepare a dish for a larger or smaller number of guests, adjust the proportions.
Ingredients:
- 8 pork cheeks;
- approx. 3 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 2 medium onions;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- approx. 550 ml of red Port wine;
- approx. 550 ml of chicken stock;
- a sprig of thyme;
- 7 grains of black pepper;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 3 cubes of dark, bitter chocolate;
- 4 teaspoons of corn flour;
- 20 g of butter (heaped spoon);
- salt and pepper (ground) to taste.
Preparation method:
Clean the cheeks and season them with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the meat on all sides until golden brownthen put them into a cast iron pot. cut into quarters, fry in the same pan and add to the meat. Boil 150 ml of wine in a pan, scraping off the sediment from the bottom (so as to use all the flavor of the meat). Pour the liquid into a pot.
Pour the remaining 400 ml of wine and the broth into the meat. Add thyme sprigs, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bake covered for 2.5-3 hours until the meat melts in your mouth. Remove the cheeks and strain the sauce through a fine sieve into the pan. In a separate bowl, mix a few tablespoons of sauce with corn flour (until smooth) and pour back into the mixture. Add the chocolate and reduce the sauce over low heat until it becomes shiny and thick (bubbles should resemble thickening caramel). At the end, add cold butter and mix to give a velvety texture. You can serve meat, among others: with puree or whole .
Sources: Terazgotuje.pl, kontakter.pl
