Hello, and welcome to the year of the rabbit. To celebrate Chinese new year here is a recipe for braised pig cheeks, because everybody knows that pigs are like rabbits in everything but name, flavour, and appearance. You can find pig cheeks in the supermarket that begins with a ‘W’, or ask your butcher nicely and they’ll scoop some out for you, or get in touch with this guy if you’re in London. Otherwise use this marinade on some other part of the pig. Its belly, for example.
Serves 6
1kg pig cheeks
2 tbsp Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, pounded in a P&M
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 red chillies, finely sliced
A thumb of ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips (julienne, dontcha know)
- Mix together the spices, soy sauce, honey, oil and vinegar, and toss through the cheeks along with the ginger, chillies, and a good pinch of salt. Leave for as long as you can.
- Preheat the oven to 170C. Shake excess marinade from the meat and brown in a large saucepan or saute pan. Tip in the marinade, simmer for a couple of minutes, and bung in the oven for an hour and a half. Remove and simmer to reduce for half an hour.
- Serve with steamed rice and something green.
god that looks good! i’ve asked many times at my local Worrisons, Wesco’s, Wasda and Wainsbury’s but they never have any wabbit… oh god I need a holiday x
Yes they’re hard to track down. Try Widl.
oy vey!
Great article. Great recipe. I see Super Saturday, pork ribs and pigs trotters written all over that marinade!
A
Hell yeah! I love pig’s cheeks, they are so good and so easy to stick in a pot and forget about. I had a bash with paprika on a goulash tip – http://saladdaysoffalnights.blogspot.com/2011/01/braised-pigs-cheeks-with-paprika.html
Kung hei fat choi and all that.
No spring onion? NO GARLIC? Surely not
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
This was very much made with what I had to hand. Cheeks from freezer etc. It could have done with spring onion, yeah, but I can live without garlic.
Glad you keep me on the straight and narrow, Ms. Lizzie.
The cheeks were beautifully flavoured and really tender – but there was nowhere near enough liquid to simmer? It burnt onto the pan. Delicious nonetheless!
Oh really? That’s odd – I know of others making this recipe with success. Anyroad, my apologies if it’s my fault! J
Damn. I thought I had been so original when I came up with an idea for Chinese-spiced pigs cheeks! A quick google provided me with this and proved me wrong. Alas. On the plus side, I now don’t have to come up with own recipe. Do these end up sticky and delicious like ribs?
Gawd I can’t remember. Should do with any luck! J
Just tried this recipe and loved it. Decided to thicken the sauce with a little corn flour, as there was quite a lot left even after simmering, which worked really well. Perfect food for a drizzly day. Will Definately be cooking this again.