Braised Pork Cheeks

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork cheek
• 2 onions
• 4 Carrots
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 400 ml dry red wine
• 400 ml beef stock
• Salt
• 0.5 tsp juniper berry
• 0.5 tsp Peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and pat the pork cheeks dry. Peel the onions, carrots, and garlic; slice the onions into wedges, dice the carrots, and halve the garlic cloves.

2. 2.

   Sear the pork cheeks in 1 tbsp hot oil on all sides until browned, then remove from the pot. In the same pot, brown the vegetables with the remaining oil, stir in the tomato paste, and deglaze with half of the red wine. Reduce this mixture, then add the remaining wine and a splash of stock. Return the pork cheeks to the pot, season with salt, crush the juniper berries and peppercorns in a mortar, and add them along with the bay leaf to the stock. Cover loosely and simmer gently for about 2½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding more stock as needed.

3. 3.

   Season with salt and pepper before serving.