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Braised smoked pig cheeks with a rich red wine sauce

Stormbringer
Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
Apparently, winter is coming. It might not have quite arrived here in the UK, however the current, dismal autumnal weather calls for some hearty meals to be prepared. I found a butcher selling pig cheeks, and decided to braise them in a sauce made from old world tempranillo ... aka Spanish Rioja. Turned out very well, will be doing this again. Full details in the link below:

https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2018/11/09/braised-pig-cheeks/

Veg cut up and ready:


Searing the pig cheeks:


Smoking in the Egg before adding the lid:


Ready to eat:


Thanks for looking!
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| Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
| My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
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Comments

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    Yessssssss! You had me @ Pig Cheeks!
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • lkapigian said:
    Yessssssss! You had me @ Pig Cheeks!
    Cheers. First time I'd cooked with them, but won't be the last. Very tasty indeed.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • smokingal
    smokingal Posts: 1,025
    I don't eat pork but they look tasty, so I'll take your word for it.  Nice work.
    It's "Smokin Gal", not "Smoking Al".
    Egging in the Atlanta GA region
    Large BGE, CGS setup, Kick Ash Basket, Smokeware SS Cap,
    Arteflame grill grate

    http://barbecueaddict.com
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,429
    Have never had pig cheeks (only walleye), they look delicious.  I don't think I've even seen them here.
     
    Also didn't know tempranillo (which I've been told was one of the best "Thanksgiving" wines) was the same grape as rioja; that will simplify shopping this year, thanks!  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,551
    Wow- one of the best looking meals I have seen lately. Always the first piece of meat I grab during a pig pickin- cheeks are awesome. 
    Greensboro, NC
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    I’ve not had pig cheeks - but beef cheeks are da bomb! Nice cook. I wish I had some...
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
    That looks amazing
    NOLA
  • SciAggie said:
    I’ve not had pig cheeks - but beef cheeks are da bomb! Nice cook. I wish I had some...
    @SciAggie I've done beef cheeks in the past, and agree they are "da bomb". Richer flavour, so calls for a rich Cabernet or Merlot in the sauce. Someone on a different forum suggested giving grouper cheeks a try ... which I will. Have you tried this?
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    @Stormbringer I have not cooked anything but beef cheeks - and I have only done them once. I chose them because I couldn’t find a beef shank or short ribs that looked good. I really liked the beef cheeks and will do them again. I will definitely try pig cheeks if I ever run across any. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • SciAggie said:
    I’ve not had pig cheeks - but beef cheeks are da bomb! Nice cook. I wish I had some...
    @SciAggie I've done beef cheeks in the past, and agree they are "da bomb". Richer flavour, so calls for a rich Cabernet or Merlot in the sauce. Someone on a different forum suggested giving grouper cheeks a try ... which I will. Have you tried this?
    I have done Halibut and grouper cheeks. They are the best bite on the fish. Like a little scallop or something similar. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • I think i have some mangalitsa cheeks from our last pig(s). Looks like i'm freezer diving today. 

    BTW- for you beef cheek guys, I did a class with Meat Church with Evan Leroy from Leroy and Lewis here in Austin as a guest. They only do Brisket on Saturdays but they do smoked/confit beef cheek every day. He made these at the class and they were better than any moist brisket you will ever have.

    He smokes them for 4 hours then puts them in a pan full of beef tallow in the smoker for another 4. He said any oil is fine but he has a ton of beef fat from the restaurant. if you don't want to make a whole brisket, this is a great alternative


    Blimey, those look amazing!
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    Holy smokes that looks near perfect. Well done Sir!

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."

                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,653
    Apparently, winter is coming. It might not have quite arrived here in the UK, however the current, dismal autumnal weather calls for some hearty meals to be prepared. I found a butcher selling pig cheeks, and decided to braise them in a sauce made from old world tempranillo ... aka Spanish Rioja. Turned out very well, will be doing this again. Full details in the link below:

    https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2018/11/09/braised-pig-cheeks/

    Veg cut up and ready:


    Searing the pig cheeks:


    Smoking in the Egg before adding the lid:


    Ready to eat:


    Thanks for looking!
    That looks amazing - well done my friend!! (I don’t know how you keep that platesetter so white) 
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
  • dmchicago
    dmchicago Posts: 4,516
    Beautiful cook and documentation.
    Philly - Kansas City - Houston - Cincinnati - Dallas - Houston - Memphis - Austin - Chicago - Austin

    Large BGE. OONI 16, TOTO Washlet S550e (Now with enhanced Motherly Hugs!)

    "If I wanted my balls washed, I'd go to the golf course!"
    Dennis - Austin,TX
  • I think i have some mangalitsa cheeks from our last pig(s). Looks like i'm freezer diving today. 

    BTW- for you beef cheek guys, I did a class with Meat Church with Evan Leroy from Leroy and Lewis here in Austin as a guest. They only do Brisket on Saturdays but they do smoked/confit beef cheek every day. He made these at the class and they were better than any moist brisket you will ever have.

    He smokes them for 4 hours then puts them in a pan full of beef tallow in the smoker for another 4. He said any oil is fine but he has a ton of beef fat from the restaurant. if you don't want to make a whole brisket, this is a great alternative


    Blimey, those look amazing!
    They were fantastic. 2 parts pepper/1 part salt smoke/confit. Pretty simple cook but so good. 

    He does the same thing with all the trim and sears that on a plancha for Barbacoa tacos. Those were very good too. There is a ton of trim on cheeks and he is a “no waste”  kind of restauranteur. he works magic with all the trim and nasty bits 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Apparently, winter is coming. It might not have quite arrived here in the UK, however the current, dismal autumnal weather calls for some hearty meals to be prepared. I found a butcher selling pig cheeks, and decided to braise them in a sauce made from old world tempranillo ... aka Spanish Rioja. Turned out very well, will be doing this again. Full details in the link below:

    https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2018/11/09/braised-pig-cheeks/

    Veg cut up and ready:


    Searing the pig cheeks:


    Smoking in the Egg before adding the lid:


    Ready to eat:


    Thanks for looking!
    That looks amazing - well done my friend!! (I don’t know how you keep that platesetter so white) 
    Thanks. The platesetter goes white after cooking pizza at 400C, burns everything off. :D 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Home run. Looks awesome. 

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    I am not hungry, but I want some of that now.

    Right now!
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • Great cook and post !!!
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    That would be a fine plate to eat any day, especially in what is now winter here. (Hey, it's <60F and that's cold for us). 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited November 2018
    caliking said:
    That would be a fine plate to eat any day, especially in what is now winter here. (Hey, it's <60F and that's cold for us). 
    @caliking sorry couldn’t resist ... 


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------