Pork Cheek in Sauce

Do you fancy some pork cheeks in red wine sauce? They're incredibly tender and juicy, and the sauce is so delicious that it can be added to any pasta dish, or white rice. If you like traditional meat recipes, make a note of this pork cheek in sauce recipe, it's worth it!

Pork cheeks are an exquisite bite

Cheeks, or 'carrilleras' come from the cheeks or fatty parts of the pig or beef on both sides of the face. Years ago they were considered a lesser cut or 'offal', but today this recipe is fashionable and is a delicacy. Its texture is similar to stew meat, but it's more succulent.

They need to be cooked for a long time (half an hour in a pressure cooker or about an hour traditionally and on low heat), in this way the meat will be tender and very juicy. When cooking, be sure to remove any white fat or skin that they have and remove any nerves.

How to make the recipe Pork Cheek in Sauce

1. Season the cheeks and pass them through a plate where we will have about two tablespoons of flour.
2. Add virgin olive oil to the pressure cooker or to a casserole. Brown the cheeks for a couple of minutes. Remove them.
3. Peel the onion, garlic, leek, and carrot. Cut into fine pieces, for the carrot you can use a grater. Sauté over medium heat for five minutes in the same oil as the meat.
4. Add the red wine (the better the wine, the tastier the sauce will be), along with a pinch of cinnamon, thyme, and oregano. Stir and let the wine reduce. When you see it has reduced, add a teaspoon of Bovril (or a crumbled meat broth cube) and a little flour (from what was left over from flouring the cheeks at the beginning). Stir to mix and incorporate the 700 ml of water and the cheeks that we had reserved.
5. If you're using a pressure cooker, program for 30 minutes plus resting time on low heat. Once the time is up, remove the meat and with the rest of the contents of the pot prepare the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and pour the contents into a container suitable for a blender. Blend until you achieve a fine sauce.
6. When serving, add the sauce to the cheeks and accompany with vegetables or potatoes.
7. If you prefer to cook it in a traditional pot or casserole. It is elaborated the same way but the time is superior and you have to add 750 ml of water instead of 600 since cooking this way more water is evaporated. If in the pressure cooker we took half an hour, in the traditional pot it would be a cooking of one hour on medium heat.
8. Once the cooking time is over we would proceed as in the previous points. Remove the meat and with the rest of the ingredients, pass them through the blender to obtain a delicious sauce.

Notes and Tips

Do you prefer a milder flavor? Prepare the same recipe with a white wine or a sherry wine and you will achieve an exquisite but less intense sauce. Did you like the recipe?