Braised pig's cheeks in red wine gravy

A recipe to slow-cook and savour as the cold weather sets in, we’ve braised our Pig’s Cheeks in red wine and chicken stock to create an indulgent gravy that envelops the butter-soft meat. The crucial element here is the slow-braising of the cheeks, we recommend at least a couple of hours to ensure the meat is soft enough to fall apart with a fork.

3 hours

3-4

Hard

• 4x packs Field & Flower Pigs Cheeks (8 cheeks in total)
• 3 tbsp olive oil1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 500ml red wine
• 6 thyme stems
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 250ml chicken stock
• Small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Mashed potato, to serve

1. Pat the pigs cheeks dry with kitchen towel, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium non-stick casserole dish over a high heat, then sear half of the pigs cheeks for 1 minute on each side until caramelised and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining cheeks.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the casserole dish and reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the onion and garlic, sauté for 3 minutes, then add the celery and carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring frequently.

3. Pour over the wine and scrape the bottom of the casserole to release any caramelised bits off the base. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute before adding the thyme, bay leaves and stock. Add the pigs cheeks back in, season well then cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2 ½ hours, turning the cheeks occasionally during cooking, until very tender

4. Remove the pig cheeks from the sauce and place on a plate covered with foil. Discard the thyme and bay leaves. Spoon half of the veggies into a bowl, then using a hand-held blender whiz the remaining braising liquid to a smooth sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer over a medium heat and reduce to a thick gravy. Pour some of the gravy into a jug then return the pigs cheeks and reserved veggies to the casserole. Stir gently to combine then serve over mashed potato and garnish with a little chopped parsley.