Asturian Cider Braised Ibérico Pork Cheeks Recipe

Receta de Estofado de Carilladas de Cerdo con Sidra Asturiana

2 Hours 50 Minutes

4 servings

Ingredients

8 Ibérico pork cheeks
Sea salt and pepper
Flour for dusting the pork
4 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar
1 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups good quality, low sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
2 cooking apples such as Granny Smith, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
12 pearl onions, skins removed (optional)
Fresh thyme leaves to garnish

Nutritional Facts

Calories 3784
Total Fat 240 gr (308%)
Saturated Fat 83 gr (415%)
Cholesterol 1292 mg (431%)
Sodium 1227 mg (53%)
Total Carbohydrates 34 gr (12%)
Fiber 5 gr (19%)
Sugars 21 gr
Protein 350 gr
Vitamin D 0%
Calcium 42%
Iron 120%
Potassium 103%

* Percent Daily Values are based on 2000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

Pork cheeks are a popular dish in restaurants all over Spain. If you have never had them, you will wonder where they have been all your life. The best pork cheeks come from black Iberian pigs known as Cerdo Ibérico, which are fed on a diet of grass and acorns. The color of Ibérico pork cheeks is darker than standard pork cheeks and they tend to be slightly smaller and surprisingly lean. Slowly stewed with spices, apples and cider for hours, they become fork tender and the flavor is incredible - rich, nutty and intense.

Steps

Preheat oven to 320°F. Season the pork cheeks with sea salt and pepper. Dust them lightly with flour, shaking off any excess. In a deep oven-proof pan or casserole, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the pork over high heat evenly on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil, diced carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sauté until onion just begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add sherry vinegar and cider, bring to a boil stirring and scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in ginger, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, bay leaves and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add apples and pearl onions (if using) and return the pork cheeks with any of their juices back to the pot. Stir well and add just enough stock to almost cover the pork cheeks. Cover with a lid or tightly with foil and put in the oven and cook for 2-3 hours, until the cheeks are super tender and almost falling apart. Serve pork directly as is with pan juices spooned over the top. Or for something more refined, remove the pork cheeks and pearl onions to a platter or serving plates and strain the remaining pan juices through a fine mesh sieve into a pot and return to the heat to reduce into a rich sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with Manchego mashed potatoes, spiced roasted carrots , crusty bread and a Spanish red wine.