Sherry-braised pig’s cheeks with prunes

This Spanish dish is winter on a plate. Don’t be put off by the idea of cooking pig’s cheeks if you have never done it before! They’re a great, cheap cut of meat, and perfect for stewing for hours on end. The meat becomes succulent and tender and remains very moist. The combination of pig’s cheeks and sherry has Spain written all over it while the prunes pay tribute to the country’s Moorish heritage. If you plan on making this dish, think ahead: you might have to let your butcher know a few days in advance so they can order the cuts in for you.

This dish featured in my Barcelona travel episode, you can watch me make it here.

This is a recipe from my second cookbook “Anne’s Kitchen – Barcelona, Istanbul, Berlin”.

September 26, 2014

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Sherry-braised pig’s cheeks with prunes

800g pig’s cheeks
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
1 onion
4 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
200ml medium dry sherry
500ml beef stock
1 tsp Worcester sauce
1 bay leaf
1 branch of thyme
200g pitted prunes
1 tbsp cornflour

Prep 35’ – Cooking 2h 20’ – Serves 4 – Takes a little time

Trim the excess fat off the pig’s cheeks, discard and cut the cheeks in half. Put two tablespoons of flour onto a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the pig’s cheeks in the seasoned flour.

Peel and finely chop the onion.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft and starting to brown. Take out of the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and brown the pig’s cheeks all over. You may need to do this in batches.

Put the meat back into the saucepan and add the onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves and add to the meat, together with the cumin and smoked paprika. Fry for another minute, then add the sherry. Scrape the bottom of the saucepan for extra flavour and stir.

Add the beef stock, Worcester sauce, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for one and a half hours.

After one and a half hours, add the prunes. Put the lid back on and cook for another 30 minutes, removing the lid for the final 15 minutes so the sauce can thicken.

Put the cornflour into a small bowl, add a few spoonfuls of the sauce and mix to a smooth paste. Add to the saucepan, season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute.

Serve the stew with mashed potatoes.

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