Iberian pork cheeks in red wine (Carrillada ibérica)

Name: Iberian pork cheeks in red wine (Carrillada ibérica)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 kg Iberian pork cheeks; 2 onions; 2 carrots; 4 garlic cloves; 500 ml red wine; 500 ml meat stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig of thyme; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; Salt and black pepper; Mashed potatoes to serve

Iberian pork cheeks slowly braised in red wine until they fall apart under a spoon.

Time: 165 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium

Carrillada is the cheek of the Iberian pig: a hard-working cut that turns gelatinous and tender when cooked slowly. The sauce of wine, vegetables and stock is half the dish.

Method

Trim the cheeks of excess fat and sinew and season them.
Brown them in a casserole with oil over high heat, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
In the same casserole, sauté the chopped onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
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Add the red wine and boil for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
Return the meat, add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Once it boils, lower the heat, cover and cook very gently for about 2 hours, until the meat falls apart with a fork.
Remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce if you like it smooth. Serve the cheeks with the sauce and mashed potatoes.

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Iberian pork cheeks in red wine (Carrillada ibérica)

Ingredients

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Method

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