Pork Cheeks with Polenta

Pork Cheeks with Polenta

Pork Cheeks with Polenta

Prep Time : 30 Minutes

Cook Time :  4 Hours

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

• 1 Kg. Pork Cheeks
• 1 large Onion, roughly diced
• 1 large Carrot, roughly diced
• 1 Celery Stick, sliced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp of chopped Oregano
• 500 ml of Chicken Stock
• 200 ml of Passato di Pomodoro
• 200 ml of Red Wine
• 300 g of Polenta
• 150 g of Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
• 1 lt. Vegetable Stock
• 25 g of Butter
• 100 g of Rocket, washed and rinsed
• 100 g of Bacon Lardons
• 150 g of Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced
• rapeseed or similar oil, for frying
• Zest of one Lemon
• 1 tbsp of Parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions :

• Preheat oven to 140 C.
• Take a casserole dish that comes with a lid and place on the hob over a high heat.
• Add a splash of oil, lightly season the pork cheeks with salt and pepper and quickly brown them all over.(You may have to cook the pork cheeks in two batches.)
• Put the pork cheeks to one side on a plate and turn the heat down to medium.
• Add some more oil and then throw in the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and oregano, cover and sweat for 10 minutes until everything is soft.
• Add the red wine and cook off the alcohol for about 5 minutes, then place the cheeks back on top of the vegetables.
• Pour the chicken stock over the top, along with the passato di pomodoro
• Bring up to the boil and then cover and put the casserole in the oven.
• Cook for 3 to 4 hours, checking every now and then on the pork cheeks, they should be very soft and starting to fall apart when done
• Remove the pork cheeks from the sauce, cover and keep in a warm place.
• strain the remaining liquid into a saucepan using a sieve. Using the back of a spoon, push as much sauce out as possible.
• When done, place the saucepan on the hob and reduce by half
• Cook your Polenta by bring the light vegetable stock to the boil and then add the maize flour, stirring all the while, until it thickens.
• This should take about 8-10 minutes and about 5 minutes in, you need to add the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring.
• Season with pepper and finish off with a knob of butter
• For the bacon and mushrooms, simply fry them off in a pan with a small dash of oil
• For the gremolata mix up the lemon zest, parsley and garlic in a small bowl .
• The rinsed rocket only needs a very quick flash in a pan over the hob for it to shrink down, say 30 seconds.
• Don’t overcook the Rocket, otherwise it will turn slimy.
• Bring everything together by spooning a generous amount of Polenta in the center of each plate, then take two or three cheeks, sliced on the diagonal and arrange on top.
• Drizzle a nice ladle of rich sauce over the top of the polenta and pork cheeks, along with the mushroom and bacon.
• Finish with a healthy scattering of Gremolata across the plate.

In House Butchers, Malta, bringing you the best and freshest pork products, with the best value for your money. Find more recipes for Pork Cheeks here : http://inhousebutchers.com/2017/05/17/beer-braised-pork-cheeks/