I have to say this is the best meal I ever made not following any recipe at all! Mostly I’ll be modest and say “I” like it. In this case I would dare to say: “Try it! You will like it.” I came up with this idea while brainstorming for a BBQ photo contest (QtheBook) I participated. The instructions were to create a wrap on the BBQ. Since Pork Cheeks are my favorite piece of meat I had to use them in this wrap. Here’s how you could make them ( Fennel Salad @ step 2):
Smoked Pork Cheeks:
First step:
Dry salt 600gr. pork cheeks for 4 hours:
- 60 gr. salt
- 20 gr. brown sugar
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp. black peppercorns
- 2 juniper
- ½ tsp. smoked chili powder
Important: Afterwoards rinse the pork cheeks and let them dry for about 2 hours. This is how beautiful they will look:
Step 2:
Prepare your Bbq for indirect cooking at 110 °C (230 °F). Add some hickory wood, acorns and mint thee at the fire. Smoke the pork cheeks for an hour. Meanwhile you have some time to make a fennel salad (easy):
Fennel Salad:
Cut the fennel in small pieces. Add some olive oil, apple vinegar, honey and mustard to the fennel. Put in the fridge till the pork cheeks are done. First I thought to warm this salad but the apple vinegar takes care of the “cooking” process.
Step 3:
Pack the pork cheeks in a aplle juice/whiskey broth and let them stew for the next hour.
Step 4:
Remove the pork cheeks from it’s package (keep the broth) and let them cook further on the BBQ for another hour. Meanwhile add some thyme, honey and apple vinegar to the broth and boil until you get a nice and tasty glaze.
Glaze the pork cheeks every ten minutes in the last half hour. This is the shiney result after glazing:
Step 5:
Grill the wraps and add some Fennel salad. Garnish with baked pine nuts, raisins and freshly sliced apple. Tear the pork cheeks in pieces and put them on top.
The result was fantastic! I did not win the photo contest, but I really can’t say I lost. I’m really glad I tried this out! This will certainly not be the last time I made these! If you want to try something on this blog, make these! You won’t regret! I actually think they would the fennel salad and smoked pork cheeks would work out well as appetizer too!
Do you have a favorite wrap recipe, or want to share a pork cheek dish? Feel free to add them in comment! Besides I could use all promotion you could give. Please hit the like and/or share buttons if you appreciate posts like this.
[…] in the book but wasn’t really convinced about the recipe… Personnaly I think my Fennel Slaw contains more balanced flavours. But who cares?! The ribs were way to tasteful to complain about […]
[…] (or have some other priorities) we’ll try this salad again replacing the Parma Ham by the Smoked Pork Cheeks I made some time ago! I’m sure they would be a great […]
These look amazing!
I love pork cheeks (in fact all cheek meat!) I first had them in France and I was blown away by them. Tender meat, packed with flavour! Amazing.
I can never understand why more people don’t eat them more often, delicious and so reasonably priced!!!
It is after midnight and I want to get in the kitchen and start cooking. This recipe looks lip smackingly good.
Pinning!
Thanks a lot for the kind words over here cheeks are way to popular by now… they are getting more expensive! Though they earns the respect 🙂 my favorite meat too!
Cheers
Wow, my husband will love this recipe. We have a friend who has a smoker, and he makes the most amazing foods. Your pork looks like it would be as good as his!
These look amazing! I bet they taste just as delicious!!
Wow, these look so succulent and delicious! The smoked chili powder sounds divine. They sound delicious with the fennel, apple, pine nuts, and raisins!
They really are 🙂 The combination is godly! They do well as an appetizer too!
I love grilled pork, and this looks amazing, especially with that sauce!
To me this part of the pork is even better than the ribs (and I would die for some ribs haha)
I really enjoy pork (and also beef) cheeks. Great looking dish on the bbq.