Pig Heads. Trash cans full of piggy heads

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

I haven't read through the thread and apologies if this has been posted already. Over on coastal Catalonia they have a pig cheek recipe (carrillada de cerdo) that's very tasty. It's nothing special in the sense this dish is a day-to-day recipe like steak and veg is in other countries. The meat is tender and melts in the mouth. I dug up this recipe and translated it:

Ingredients:

4 - Pig cheeks
2 - Onions
3 - Ripe Tomatoes
1 - Leek
Herbs (thyme, improved, laurel)
3 cloves - Garlic
1 glass - Red wine
Pork or oil butter
Salt
Pepper
Water
For the flock:
1 handful - Almonds
2 - Garlic
1 glass - red wine

preparation:

Practice a few incisions to the cheekbones, season, lodge them with lard or oil and put them in the oven.

When browned, add onions, leek, herbs and tomatoes.

When the vegetable is golden, incorporate the wine and reduce it. Add water and cook.

When the cheeks are soft, place them in another pan. Strain sauce before pouring over.

Add the slice and cook all together for another 10 minutes.

Season to taste.


Variations:
The cheeks can be floured before frying.

A bit of ratafia (Catalan walnuts liquor) can be added to the sauce.

You can prepare a smooth alioli, cover the cheeks and put them in the oven until golden.

It can be accompanied by mushrooms.

Here's a video that shows the process and has a slightly different recipe. The green stuff (I think) is alioli.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Sounds fantastic.

Im a big fan of cheeks.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Kandinsky

Sounds fantastic.

Im a big fan of cheeks.

They really taste great. The ones we had didn't bear turning over on the plate because of the hairs still sticking out. The ones in the video look more 'sanitised' than the standard dish in that area. The meat was comparable to Lamb Henry in the way it was delicate and melt-in-the-mouth. Washed down with half-frozen Estrella.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

It's not exactly BBQ, but we slaughtered hogs every year in NM and mom would always cook at least one or two heads up in a huge pot with a bunch of onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and a few dried red chile pods. After that cooked for the better part of a day, she'd pull all the meat off the heads, and add a large number of home roasted green chiles and cubed potatoes and a couple cans of tomatoes into the pot, cook that for another hour or so. Served it with homemade tortillas, shredded muenster cheese, and some sour cream. Just about the best tasting pork verde imaginable. The fat from the jowls makes it rich and the bone broth as well as the brain thickens the sauce up nice.

OMG, it's horrible

a reply to: burdman30ott6

That's sounds great!