Pork cheeks are pieces of meat from the head of a pig. They are located on the right and left sides of the snout. Since this part of the pig's head contains masticatory muscles, the meat in this part contains correspondingly long fibers with a large amount of connective tissue and fat.
Pork cheeks consist of alternating layers of meat and fat. Cheeks are quite a tender and juicy product.
How to cook pork cheeks
Because pork cheeks are very fatty, stewing or boiling takes a long time. Depending on the structure of the piece, this process can take up to two hours. Only then is the characteristic taste revealed. For this reason, they are most often used as an addition to hearty dishes such as soups and stews.
Pork cheeks are used in Mediterranean recipes where they are fried with spices.
How to store pork cheeks
Most often pork cheeks are sold in salted and boiled form, so - like pork leg - they can be stored for quite a long time - in the refrigerator at 7°C for about five days.
Of course, pork cheeks can be frozen and stored longer, after which they must be thawed in the refrigerator.
In international gourmet restaurants, pork cheeks have long been established as an unusual food product, but prepared as a first-class recipe. There pork cheeks are boiled or fried with expensive and in some cases exotic spices and served with selected vegetables.
See how to make delicious pork cheeks.
If you are curious, you should also know how to cook pork belly.
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