Pork Main French

Glazed pork cheek

Name: Glazed pork cheek
Yield: 8
Cuisine: /french
Ingredients: 1kg pork cheeks (order from your butcher); 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 1 leek, roughly chopped; 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley stalks, chopped; 1 tbs each cloves and juniper berries, plus extra cloves to stud; 3 each star anise and bay leaves; Baby sorrel leaves, to serve; 1 cup (250ml) honey; 2 cups (500ml) each port and dry red wine; 3 cloves; 2 star anise; 1 tbs juniper berries (from Herbies.com.au)

Rate now

Jump to recipe

This glazed pork cheek is soft, juicy and packed full of flavour. It's French cuisine at its finest, and will surely be the centrepiece to any celebratory meal.

1kg pork cheeks (order from your butcher)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley stalks, chopped
1 tbs each cloves and juniper berries, plus extra cloves to stud
3 each star anise and bay leaves
Baby sorrel leaves, to serve

Glaze

1 cup (250ml) honey
2 cups (500ml) each port and dry red wine
3 cloves
2 star anise
1 tbs juniper berries (from Herbies.com.au)

Method

1.

Place pork, carrot, leek, parsley, spices and bay leaves in a large heavy-based saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook, topping up with extra water if necessary, for 6 hours or until tender. Drain pork, then place, skin-side up, on a baking tray and chill uncovered overnight.
2.

The next day, for the glaze, combine all ingredients in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, and cook, stirring, for 40 minutes or until thickened.
3.

Using a small knife, remove skin from pork cheeks, then trim the fat underneath leaving a thin layer. Score and stud with extra cloves. Place pork, fat-side down, in a cold frypan and place over medium-high heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Turn, then pour over 1 cup (250ml) reduced glaze. Cook, basting with glaze, for a further 3-4 minutes until sticky.
4.

Serve pork with extra glaze and sorrel.