Crispy pig cheek, pickled fennel, chilli
Ingredients
Pig cheek
- 500g of pork cheeks
- salt to taste
- 1/2 bunch of spring onions
- 25g of fried onions
- 15g of fresh coriander
- 1 star anise
- 5g of fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- 70g of light soy sauce
- 60g of cane sugar
- 80g of sake
- 40g of sushi vinegar
- 1l chicken stock
Pickled fennel
- 300g of vinegar
- 200g of water
- 100g of cane sugar
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bulb of fennel , sliced on a mandolin into 2mm thick slices
To finish
- 40g of plain flour
- 2 large eggs , beaten
- 60g of Panko breadcrumbs, plus more for storing the pig cheeks
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 chillies , thinly sliced
- chopped chives
Equipment
- Fine chinois
Method
Prep the pork cheek by removing the sinew from one side
- 500g of pork cheeks
Season the pig cheeks lightly with salt
- salt to taste
In a hot pan sear the cheeks until golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside
Put the pan back on the heat, add the spring onions and cook for 2 more minutes
- 1/2 bunch of spring onions
Add all the other ingredients and pig cheeks, bring to a simmer
- 25g of fried onions
- 15g of fresh coriander
- 1 star anise
- 5g of fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- 70g of light soy sauce
- 60g of cane sugar
- 80g of sake
- 40g of sushi vinegar
- 1l chicken stock
Cook for between 2 hours and 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the cheeks are tender. Stick a fork in one of the pig cheeks to check, and make sure there is no resistance in the meat
While the pig cheeks cook, make the pickled fennel. Put all the ingredients apart from the fennel into a pan and bring up to the boil. Add the fennel and bring back to the boil
- 300g of vinegar
- 200g of water
- 100g of cane sugar
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bulb of fennel , sliced on a mandolin into 2mm thick slices
Take the fennel off the heat and cool in a blast chiller
Once the cheeks are cooked, take them off the heat and cool to room temperature in the stock. Next, remove the cheeks from the stock and place on a tray
Pass the pork cheek cooking liquid through a chinois into a fresh pan and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 10–12 minutes
Add the flour, eggs and panko to 3 separate containers
- 40g of plain flour
- 2 large eggs , beaten
- 60g of Panko breadcrumbs, plus more for storing the pig cheeks
Roll the pig cheeks in flour, then dust off the excess. Place each cheek into the egg then into the panko. Roll them around in the panko until completely covered
Coat all the pig cheeks in another layer of egg, and then another layer of panko. Line a container with panko and then place the breaded cheeks on top in a single layer
When ready to serve, heat a few centimetres of vegetable oil in a heavy, high-sided pan for frying the pork cheeks. Fry each cheek until golden brown, and 70°C at the thickest part of the meat
- vegetable oil, for frying
Warm up the reduction, and add 1 tablespoon to each plate. Top the reduction with the crispy pig cheek, and about 40g of pickled fennel. Garnish the fennel with 4–5 slices of chilli and some chives
- 2 chillies , thinly sliced
- chopped chives
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Crispy pig cheek, pickled fennel, chilli
