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Pigs Cheeks - Success!

Hey everyone. Having taken on board all your advice following my less than perfect ox cheeks, I decided to give pigs cheeks a try. Using tips from this forum, they turned out perfectly. They were sticky on the outside, and fall to pieces tender on the inside. 

12 lovely cheeks



Covered in rub, I then left them overnight.



I then gave them a good sear to get some nice caramelisation going on. 



I then put the plate setter in and cooked them in a tray for 2 hours at 160c/320f. I then dropped the temp to 125c/250f, poured some stock in to the tray and covered with foil. Another 2 hours, then foil off, and 30 mins back at 160c/320f basting every 10 minutes with the stock. 





I plated up with pickled lettuce, bbq sauce, mustard mixed with greek yogurt, pickled carrot, red onion and chili then some sweet smoked paprika and salt to sprinkle all over. Straight after I'd taken this picture, I doubled everything on the plate. Didn't look so good, but I didn't want to starve!!

The full recipe, including the pickle mix and BBQ sauce recipes I use is on my blog if anyone is interested feel free to stop by.

Cheers!
Chris
Northamptonshire, UK
Twitter - @criggybarbar
Blog - www.criggybites.com


Comments

  • bclarksicle
    bclarksicle Posts: 167
    Outstanding cook. Where do you find cheeks?
  • Thank you. I get them from a local butcher. You have to order them otherwise they go in to the sausages along with all the other bits and bobs! 

    Pigs cheeks are becoming so popular here in the UK that even one of the major supermarket chains is now stocking them. Twice the price compared to the butchers though! 
    Northamptonshire, UK
    Twitter - @criggybarbar
    Blog - www.criggybites.com


  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Looks incredible.  All of your cooks so far are really interesting and I enjoy your blog.  Keep 'em coming. 

    I have had pig cheek sliders in a restaurant here in the states and they were excellent.  I will have to see if any butchers in my area get them.  I have seen someone cook the pigs head on here :pig:.  


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    Another fantastic cook.  Keep'em coming!
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • @SmokeyPitt Thank you, your support is really appreciated. Pigs cheek sliders?? What a fantastic idea!!! If your butcher gets whole pigs, which I'm sure they do, then they should have no problem cutting the cheeks off for you.

    Just be careful you don't get the whole jowl though. It happened to me. I paid for 4 kilos of cheeks, thinking I'd get a whole load of them, and ended up with about 6 jowls. I then had to cut the cheeks out (6 cheeks is barely enough for one meal), then cut away all the saliva glands and loads of fat. To be fair, I then cured it and it ended up with some lovely pancetta style stuff so not all bad.

    I've read somewhere, probably on here, that a whole head on the egg is a revelation and that the cheeks are even better when cooked that way! Good luck finding cheeks, it will be worth the search!

    Cheers!
    Chris





    Northamptonshire, UK
    Twitter - @criggybarbar
    Blog - www.criggybites.com


  • Did I mention that I lost a lot of arm hair doing this cook??? I know you have to burp the egg, which I did do, however I clearly didn't do it properly as I burped it, then opened it, then the flames went "woof" and they licked my forearm! Two things will now change, I will burp more effectively, and I will be wearing my fireproof oven mitt from now on!!
    Northamptonshire, UK
    Twitter - @criggybarbar
    Blog - www.criggybites.com