The Best Braised Pork Cheek Recipe

close up pig cheeks braised in a beer sauce.

4.84 from 6 votes

The Best Braised Pork Cheek Recipe

Melt-in-your-mouth braised pork cheeks in a rich, flavorful gravy made of dark beer. This fantastic recipe transforms an inexpensive cut of pork into a true delicacy.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Course: Beef, Pork and Lamb, German Main Course, Main Course

Cuisine: German

Servings: people

Calories: 571kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

A wide Dutch oven or another large heavy-bottomed pot
Tongs

Ingredients

Pork cheeks:

2 ½ lb pork cheeks 1.2 kg
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce:

4.5 oz pancetta 125 g, Note 1
⅓ cup celeriac or celery diced, about 50 g
⅓ cup carrots diced, about 50 g
½ cup onion finely chopped, about 75 g
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bottle dark beer 330 ml/ 11 oz, Note 2
½ cup beef stock or chicken stock, 125 ml
2-3 teaspoons cornstarch optional, to thicken the gravy

Instructions

Prepare pork cheeks:

Trim the cheeks of any sinew and any other large, fatty membrane.
Flour pork cheeks: Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pass the cheeks through the flour, then shake and pat them over the bowl to remove the excess flour.
1 ½ tablespoons flour + ½ teaspoon fine sea or Kosher salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sear pork cheeks: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the Dutch oven. Sear ½ of the cheeks on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned (use tongs to turn them around). Remove them from the pan and repeat with the second batch of meat. Remove and set aside.

Sauce:

Dice all the vegetables while the cheeks are searing. Keep the minced garlic separated from the rest.
Sauté: Place the cubed pancetta (or bacon) in the still-hot Dutch oven. Stir it for about one minute until it starts releasing some fat (if there is not enough fat in the pot, add another tablespoon of oil).
Next, add celeriac or celery, carrots, and onions. Cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes, often stirring, until slightly softer.
4 ½ oz (150 g) pancetta, ⅓ cup (50 g) celery + ⅓ cup (50 g) carrots + ½ cup onion (75 g)
Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well for about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot.
2 garlic cloves + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon thyme + ½ teaspoon rosemary + ½ teaspoon fine sea or Kosher salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Simmer: Return the meat to the pot, and pour in the beer and the stock. Stir well, cover the pot, and simmer the cheeks for 2 hours until meltingly soft. Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of the cooking time to allow the sauce to thicken.
1 bottle (330 ml/ 11 oz) + ½ cup (125 ml) beef or chicken stock
Thicken the gravy (optional – Note 3): Stir the cornstarch with a little cold water in a small bowl. Push the cheeks in the pot to make a little space and whisk in about half of the slurry. Stir well and only whisk in the remaining slurry if necessary. The gravy should be only slightly thickened and not too thick.
3 teaspoon cornstarch + 1-2 tablespoons cold water
Adjust the taste with salt and pepper if necessary.

Notes

Pancetta: You can also use bacon, preferably thickly cut and then cubed bacon, smoked, or unsmoked.
Beer: I used a dark German beer. Guinness is also great. Pils also works fine in this recipe if you can't get a dark beer.
Thickening the gravy with cornstarch is an optional step; you should only thicken the sauce if it hasn’t been reduced enough during cooking; it’s a matter of personal preference.
Slow cooker instructions: Brown the cheeks, vegetables, and spices as instructed in the recipe. Transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for about 5 hours. Check; the tender meat should be fork tender.

Nutrition