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pork cheek, chorizo, pea + potato stew

23/10/2012

37 Comments

 
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I had rather a lazy time of it on Sunday, in that I didn't get out of the door (even though I'd run out of milk after breakfast) and spent much of the time sofa-bound, watching two films and reading a book. But I did manage to make a loaf of bread and this rather tasty and hearty stew - another wonderfully comforting dish following on from last week's meat and potato pie.

The only inhabitants of the vegetable rack were a solitary Cyprus potato, an onion and a head of garlic; there was a chorizo sausage and a roasted pepper in the fridge, left over from earlier in the week when I'd made this sandwich:
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And on Saturday I'd bought two packs of pork cheeks from Morrisons (£5.20 per kg) with no particular recipe in mind. Although these are a regular item on the shelves of the Peckham branch they quickly disappear, mainly because there's a local restaurant owner who selfishly keeps buying up the entire stock. So if you ever see them there, grab as many as you can while you can, if only to piss the little fucker off.

Just to be clear - what we're talking about here, what Morrisons sell, are the nuggets of meat you get from the pig's cheek, not the entire cheek (see the photo below).
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The amounts here serve one greedy person (viz. me).

serves one (with seconds)
a sprig of thyme
1 dsp olive oil
3 pork cheeks, each cut into 3 pieces (approx. 225g)
½ onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
50g chorizo, in small chunks
75ml red wine
250ml chicken stock
1 roasted red pepper, skinned, de-seeded and roughly chopped
175g of waxy potato, in small chunks
75g frozen peas
salt + black pepper


Heat a frying pan and have a casserole dish ready next to it. Put the thyme in the casserole. When the frying pan is hot add the oil and briskly fry the pork until nicely browned, then transfer to the casserole. Next, fry the onions and garlic until softened then spoon these over the pork. Fry the chorizo in the frying pan until starting to brown, pour in the wine and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the sticky bits from the base of the pan. Add the stock, let it bubble for a minute, then pour everything into the casserole. Add the roasted pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer very gently, covered, for 1½ hours.

Remove the lid from the casserole, add the potatoes, increase the heat slightly, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the peas and simmer for a final 15 minutes. The pork should now be lusciously tender and the potatoes squishily soft. Season to taste and serve. You'll need some crusty bread to mop up the juices.
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37 Comments
Chas
23/10/2012 02:55:13

Canterbury Morrisons has these bang for buck delights in only sporadically. I don't think I can blame your Peckham villan though.I usually cook them up with some green lentils and some 'cooking bacon'. If you rummage carefully you'll find a pack with thick fatty slabs of smoked bacon rather than skinny rasher mis-shapes. But you probably know that already. All hail the pig.

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The Skint Foodie
23/10/2012 06:34:28

All hail the pig, indeed Chas!

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Robin Betts
23/10/2012 08:03:29

Good on Morrison's though .. they're better than most supermarkets at the 'off' cuts .. pork rind, ribs without 'value added', stewing lamb, etc, etc. Maybe if we do all go in there and swipe the lot, they will be persuaded to do it more often.

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The Skint Foodie
23/10/2012 18:07:58

It's worth a try Robin!

Phil
23/10/2012 05:39:32

Waitrose often have these in stock even cheaper than Morrisons too. I always buy their.entire stock when I am in there.

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The Skint Foodie
23/10/2012 06:38:12

That's good to know Phil - thanks.

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Emily
23/10/2012 06:04:50

Wow. If that is what you made on a lazy gourmet day, I would LOVE to see the results of a productive one.
Looks amazing!
What bread did you make to go with it?

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The Skint Foodie
23/10/2012 06:40:28

I made this white bread Emily: http://www.theskintfoodie.com/1/post/2012/06/a-simple-white-farmhouse-bread.html although not specifically for this, more for the week's sarnies.

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Martyn
23/10/2012 14:27:45

Uncannily similar Sunday (and Saturday for that matter). Focus of my weekend? Making your recent breast of lamb. First visit to an actual butcher since leaving London ten years ago. Will definitely go back. Saturday braised. Sunday roasted. Sublime. Thanks.

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The Skint Foodie
23/10/2012 18:06:20

That's great - so pleased you enjoyed it!

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Oonagh
23/10/2012 20:22:09

Sounds like a perfect Sunday to me!

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 10:28:25

Actually, it wasn't bad, now I think on't.

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Lorraine Simpson link
24/10/2012 04:50:40

I made this for dinner last night - thanks for the recipe - it was SCRUMMYLICIOUS. Total food heaven (despite the fact that I made a boo boo - was cooking for two so doubled all the ingredients, including the stock. This made the sauce watery but still v tasty). Dismayed to learn that Morrisons in Edinburgh don't sell pork cheeks so I used chunks from a thick pork steak instead. Also omitted the peas and used roast peppers from a jar. Happy tummies in the Simpson household - thank you.

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 10:27:41

A very great pleasure!

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Fandabydozy Cakes link
16/1/2013 06:51:53

Lorraine Simpson - try your local farmers market for Puddledub Pork (based in Fife). They often sell packs of pork cheeks. Their website is www.puddledub.co.uk

I bought some from them at the weekend and this recipe is where they're heading tonight.

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Lizzie link
24/10/2012 09:10:40

Oooh I love peas! This looks really very gorgeous. Peckham's Morrisons is really very good - I often buy lamb ribs from there.

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 10:30:59

Ta! You know, buffoon that I am I don't think I've ever noticed the lamb ribs in there - thanks for the tip.

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Snigdha link
24/10/2012 12:47:36

Hello!
Your blog is always a source of great inspiration. I think that food fans often fail to realise that the price paid for ingredients is not necessarily proportional to their flavour and enjoyment. Italian food often uses pig cheek - amatriciana sauce being a particular example. This looks like exactly the sort of thrifty, tasty, wonderful comfort food we need as the Autumn/Winter season is truly upon us.
Great job!

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 10:32:44

Cheers Snigdha!

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Jan link
25/10/2012 11:31:51

That all looks amazingly tasty - real comfort food. Pork cheeks are like a little secret that the numpties haven't cottoned on to aren't they? I normally buy mine at Morrisons too, however managed to get 12 of the little beauties for £2 at Waitrose as they were on offer :)

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 11:43:49

God's teeth, but that was a great find!

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Caroline74
25/10/2012 11:36:49

That looks heavenly. I've asked my butcher to get me some Ox cheeks for this Sundays stew, but this looks Amazing!!!! Pig cheeks shall be requested next!

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The Skint Foodie
25/10/2012 11:50:16

Good luck with that! I asked a local butcher, but he said as he only got in one pig per week to butcher they don't supply them. There's about 7-8 of these 'nuggets' in a pack from Morrisons.

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Robyn
27/10/2012 05:49:41

After reading this I went to Morrisons, having not shopped there in well over a year. Not only did I find pork cheeks but also a massive smoked pork knuckle (£1.99), thick slabs of cooking bacon (74p), two glamourous looking red gurnard (£2.50) & a couple of dabs for just over a quid. The best supermarket haul in long while!

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The Skint Foodie
28/10/2012 10:46:29

That's a great haul, Robyn. Their fish counter ain't bad for a supermarket is it? I've never tried their slabs of bacon - will remedy that soon no doubt. Thanks!

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Aileen
23/11/2012 06:35:56

Hi just wanted to say thanks for turning me onto pork cheeks, I swung by morrisons and picked up a pack (the last pack in the shop) to make a stew. Was amazing, the meat is so tender.

Thanks

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The Skint Foodie
2/12/2012 11:27:00

My pleasure, Aileen!

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cakequest link
12/1/2013 11:16:52

Just stumbled onto your blog via the Grauniad website. This looks amazing, one of my friends did a slow cooked ox cheek stew over Christmas and it was delicious. Was going to Morrisons tomorrow anyway, will seek out the meat section now. Hope 2013 is treating you well.

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Tony
19/1/2013 11:36:48

I'm assuming you could also use pork shoulder. Morrisons often have this on special offer at around £3 a kilo! Great when cooked slow like in a slow cooker!

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jeannie
31/1/2013 13:55:29

I am a first time buyer of port cheeks at Morrisons so just doing some research. Love the recipes and suggestions and will look forward to cooking and tasting the result. I often buy pork shoulder and cook it in a simple home made bbq sauce which is quite nice and just serve it with plain long grain rice and a bit of salad. Cheap and cheerful.

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Corinna Schicker link
7/2/2013 09:30:26

I just tracked down two packets of pig cheeks today here in Brussels - for the first time ever - and will cook them over the weekend with your lovely recipe! I'm on a complete "nose-to-tail bits" mission at the moment and have a roulade of pig trotters' meat in the fridge... I'll let you know when I posted the recipe on my blog! And here's my latest one on buying beef here (including onglet):

http://thebrusselscooker.blogspot.be/2013/02/buying-beef-in-brussels.html?spref=fb

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Brian
5/4/2013 07:56:55

Just to add to the pig-cheek-spotting: I got some in Waitrose Beckenham last night @ £4.49 a kilo from the service counter. 4 cheeks cost £1.03. I've used them diced in a casserole with borlotti beans and butter beans in tomato sauce and I reckon the total cost for five decent portions is about £3.00. That's less than 50g of meat per serving, of course, but that's enought for anybody, I think. And they are free-range!

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Christine
20/9/2013 05:16:34

This came out wicked! I used a pressure cooker and omitted the potatoes, also had no red wine so used dry sherry. Made a side of whole wheat couscous and Dinner was on the table in 25 minutes! Thanks for sharing this meal idea.

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Ann
8/11/2013 17:04:18

In the middle of cooking this, but so far so good. I am in Canada, on Vancouver Island, and I don't think I will ever see a pig cheek in my local grocery stores, but after conferring with the butcher we decided that a capicola cut from the shoulder was the best equivalent. $12.99 per kg which is probably way more than your pig cheeks, but I think it should be tasty,

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Luke
3/12/2013 15:27:38

Ingredients excepted, I followed your recipe exactly and it was lovely. Thank you.

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Andy
24/1/2014 04:29:48

So glad i found this page after stumbling accross it trying to find something tasty and warming to make with the pig cheeks i picked up from the local butcher Well the funny looks and snorting of other customers was well worth it cant wait to make it again

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Elaine
2/4/2015 05:15:14

Morrisons in Oxted now stock the Pig Cheeks but they disappear very quickly so I tend to buy them and work my weekly menu around them when they're there and what a great ingredient I have made a Spanish version using Olloroso Sherry from the BBC Good Food site. Simlarly to you I have some cooking Chorizo, from my last visit to Borough Market, so your receipe looks to be ideal!

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  • blog
  • about
  • how
  • recipes etc.
    • recipes
    • skint 'takeaways'
    • mid-week meals for the time-poor
    • cheese boards
    • coffee
  • spending
  • spotify playlists
  • links
  • contact me