* * *
Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry take a little time but they are a delicacy that will melt in your mouth!
Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry take a little time but they are a delicacy that will melt in your mouth!
*
* *
This
recipe is from my new book.
Sure, it is so very yummydeliciously
übergood, too, but it became one of my favourites because it was one
of the recipes we tried, tested, styled, shot and devoured together
with my beloved Gothenburger.
This
gives him a legitimate claim to fame and reason to brag about his
contribution to the book - not only has he been giving his opinion on
the recipe, he's also been holding the styling props (and listening
to the endless stream of profanities sprouting out of the author,
frustrated with the ever-changing light and swiftly approaching
deadlines...)
Andalusia
has traditionally been one of EU's poorest regions, which reflects on its
cuinary traditions, too. Every single part of the animal is used;
also the not-so-appealing ones.
Iberico pork cheeks aren't much to look at and they do take a little time, but trust me - they're quite possibly the best part of the whole pig.
Perhaps a little surprisingly the sherries most often used for braising meat are the dulces; sweet sherries such as Pedro Ximénez. Firts time I encountered this dish at one of my favourite tapas bars and boy, it was love from the first time.
Such
a cheeky treat!
Serves
4-6 as a main, up to 10 as tapas
Carrilleras
de cerdo en Pedro Ximénez - Iberico pork cheeks braised in
Pedro
Ximénez sherry:
12
(Iberico) pork cheeks (total weight 1,2 - 1,6 kg)
2
celerys, finely diced
1
large carrot (or 2 medium ones), finely diced
1
large onion (or 2 small ones), finely diced
1
whole head of garlic, cut in half
5
dl stock
5
dl Pedro Ximénez sherry (or Cream sherry, like one from Valdespino)
salt,
pepper
For
frying: oil
Pre-heat
the oven to 150°c.
Trim the pork cheeks from excess membranes if needed. Pat them dry and season. Sear in a pot in a couple of tbsp of oil in batches and transfer aside.
Add more oil into the pot and sauté the finely diced celery, carrot and onion until soft. Then add the garlic the cut side down and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes.
Add pork cheeks, sherry and stock. Bring to boil and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 4,5 hours.
Using a slotted spoon lift the pork cheeks out of the pot. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Squeeze the liquid in the pot through a sieve (don't forget to scrape in the mash underneath the sieve!).
Skim
off the fat on top.
Kitchen supply stores sell particular separator jugs for this, but another easy way of doing this is freezing it quickly (in the winter you can chill the liquid by placing the container into the snow - provided you live in equally unfortunately Arctic climate as I do...).
As a result of freezing the fat forms a clear layer on top of the stock, making it weasy to spot and skim.
Return
the stock into the pot and reduce, over high heat, for about 10
minutes until it's reached a desired thickness. Add pork cheeks into
the pot and continue cooking until they are piping hot all the way
through.
Check the taste and season as needed.
Cut
to pieces and serve as tapas or serve as a main with boiled rice or
mashed potatos.
For
my favourite mash; one that will make you cry, check the recipe
on the blog over here.
How about you guys? Tried and fallen for pork cheeks yet?
___________________
ANYONE FOR SECONDS?
SHARING IS CARING!
hmm
ReplyDelete