Pig's cheeks.

- Nigel Slater's pig's cheeks recipe | Food | The Guardian
Braised* pig's cheeks.
The main ingredient is something that has recently started to appear on the shelves of our local Morrisons - £1.40x3 pieces (£5.40 1kg).
Remember to remove your pigs cheeks from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature.

The accompanying potatoes produce a creamy, almost "wet" mash of a very soft and velvety texture.
Serves 4.
olive oil a little
pig's cheeks 8
carrots 3
onions 2
red onion 1
celery 2
garlic 4
flour 2 tbsp
thyme a generous bunch
orange peel a short piece
bay leaves 3
red wine 1 bottle, rich and bold (OR - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar+2 cups hard apple cider+chicken stock; OR perhaps cider/calvados or stout)
sugar or fruit jelly 2 tbsp or so
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (optional)

...in one word:
- equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac - the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a head of garlic split in half.

- Warm a thin film of oil in a heavy roasting tin over a moderate heat, then season the cheeks with salt and pepper and brown them lightly in the oil.
Remove and set aside.

Cut the carrots into thick slices, peel and roughly chop the onions, cut the celery into short lengths and peel and slice the garlic.
Add the carrots, onions, celery, orange peel and garlic to the pan in which you browned the cheeks, letting them soften and colour very lightly.
...in one word:
- Using the same frying pan, add the **mirepoix of vegetable and colour.

- Set the oven at 140C/gas mark 3.

Return the cheeks to the pan, tucking them among the vegetables, scatter over the flour, season with salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two then add the thyme, the bay leaves and the wine.
Bring to the boil, cover loosely with foil or baking parchment, then bake for 2.5 to 3 hours until tender.
Check occasionally to make sure the liquid isn't reducing too far.
After an hour or so, it might be prudent to taste and add up to two tbsp of sugar, or some apple or other fruit jelly/runny honey to the gravy.

Taste and correct the seasoning and serve with the potatoes.

OR:
...Add the mushrooms...
Cover the pot and cook on low for 5 hours.
After 5 hours, cook without the cover on high for 1 hour more.
Total of cooking time is 6 hours.
Give everything a stir after 4 hours of cooking and check also for seasoning.
It's best served the next day to further develop the flavours.
The sauce also thickens more the next day.
If you want to serve it on the day of cooking, continue cooking on high until the sauce is thicker.

To make the mash
- add 1kg of floury potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks to boiling, salted water.
Cook until they are soft enough to crush.
Then drain and mash with 80-100g butter, fluffing the potatoes using a wooden spoon or the flat paddle attachment of a food mixer.
Finally, pour in two or three tablespoons of double cream and whip until thoroughly smooth.

OR:
Make carbonara with confit pork cheek.

OR:
- Braised Pigs’ Cheeks | The Arbuturian
with caramelised apples:
1 big or 2 small English eating apples (cox would be good)
20g butter
1tsp brown sugar
1 star anise
- Quarter and core the apple(s) them. Cut into slices approximately 1cm wide.
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan and stir in the sugar.
Then put in the apple slices and the star anise.
Cook for 5 mins or so until tender and browned.
Stir it around and turn the apples over halfway through the cooking time.
Arrange slices of apple on your diners’ plates and serve with a mash that’s 50/50 potato to celeriac.
Cavalo nero would go nicely too.

OR:
- Pig cheeks- better fast roasted than slow cooked! | Winkypedia
Marinate overnight:
Marinade (for 4 pieces of pig cheeks):
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sake
4 tbsp dark soya sauce
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves of chopped garlic or 1 tbsp garlic salt
Method:
- Preheat the (fan heated) oven to 160C.
- Place the pig cheeks on the grill rack.
- Place the rack on the top tray of the oven.
- Check the pig cheeks after 10 minutes.
It should have little burnt corners.
- Turn the pig cheeks.
Put them back into the oven.
- Turn the oven up to 170C.
Check again after 5 minutes.
If you can see an attractive glaze with little burnt bits around- well done!
Your pig cheeks are ready!

*Braised - тушить обжаренное мясо
**mirepoix - a mixture of sautéed chopped vegetables used in various sauces.