I love this post by Sarah Wilson, where she shares a recipe for slow cooked beef cheeks.
I’ve not tried slow cooked beef cheeks myself but I am a HUGE fan of pork cheeks, which are a very popular cut in Spain (where they’re called “galtas”) but seem to have been relegated to the forgotten meats section here in the UK. If you eat meat then I think you’ve got a responsibility to ensure that you eat all cuts, not just the trendy, exciting cuts. After all, if we’re killing these animals we need to make sure that there’s no waste.
Your local butcher (as well as supermarkets like Morrison’s and Waitrose) will stock pork cheeks which are not only super tasty but more importantly are a very cheap cut of meat – great if you’re on a budget.
Cooking pork cheeks is a slow process, you can’t rush it, but if you’re like me and love your slow cooker then they are perfect. {click to tweet}
Although this is probably more of an autumn dish (*looks outside* no sign of summer so I think we’re ok) I was so inspired by Sarah’s post that I wanted to share with you a great recipe I found (and tested) in the Telegraph for slow roasted pork cheeks.
Slow Cooked Pork Cheek Casserole with Mushrooms & Red Wine
Serves 2 (a large portion at that)
- 55g smoked streaky bacon
- A medium onion, chopped
- 150g mushrooms
- 450g pig’s cheek (this will cost around £2.50 – told you it was cheap!)
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 110ml red wine
Put the bacon in a large pan and heat until the fat runs. Add the onion and cook until it’s soft and lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and keep cooking until the liquid boils off the mushrooms and they start to brown too.
Lightly coat the pig cheeks in the flour, adding a pinch of salt and pepper.
Heat 1tbsp oil in a large pan and brown the cheeks on both sides. Scoop out and keep to one side.
Add the wine to the pan and boil up, stirring vigorously. Add the cheeks, mushrooms, bacon and onion to the pan and then transfer to an oven proof dish (or if you’re like me, bung it in your slow cooker). Top up with enough water to just cover.
Season and place in the oven on a slow heat for around 2/ 2.5 hours.
Serve with mash potato and spring greens.
Image & Recipe Credit
The pork cheek is also referred to as pork jowl. It is not a particularly expensive cut of pork. In fact, it is comparatively cheap. If you can’t find them, ask your butcher. When slowly cooked and flavored well they bring forth the most tender meat and can be served with their sauce over pasta, risotto, mashed potatoes, or almost anything. I particularly like them on a little bed of roasted butternut squash, as you see in the photo. The sauce for this recipe is so rich and delicious. Combined with the rub on the meat, this sauce offers a deep rich taste experience only enhanced by the huge jolt of pork flavor from the cheeks. This is one of those long cooking recipes just made for the slow cooker or crockpot. I suggest 8 hrs on low for this, if that is the way you prefer to go.
Going to give this a try tomorrow – pork cheek purchased and ready to go. I’m going to try the slow cooker method. I just love the melt in your mouth meat that’s been bubbling away all day.
Fingers crossed.
How did you find it??
how long does it take in slow cooker
Mark, I’d say the minimum of 6 hours really. But you’d have to trail and error 🙂