28th September 2011

Today’s creation, braised pig’s cheeks:

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/595844

There’s something very satisfying about meat so melting it can be eaten with a spoon… Almost as satisfying as tucking into something that’s been lovingly bubbling away for almost 5 hours.
I’ve been desperate to try pig’s cheeks for a while and this recipe turned out to be a corker. It’s easy to prep, the magic is all in the waiting. As it wouldn’t be harmed by an extra hour or so in the oven, it would be a perfect dinner party dish. 
The only fault I can find is that the flavour is rich but with the carrot/celery/onion trio it’s slightly stew-like -I’d love to try the cheeks with some more complex flavours to match the specialness of the meat.

Having ordered whole cheeks/bath chaps from the fantastic butchers at Windsor Farm Shop and removed the nuggets of cheek I’m now left with the large fatty parts. 
It would be a shame to waste them as they have good, thick layers of meat but they’re also a little hairy on the skin side. Could they be roasted like pork belly?What to do..!?

(photo courtesy of http://www.uktv.co.uk)