Equipment
Ingredients
Braised Pork Cheeks
- 800 g pork cheeks, trimmed of excess silver skin
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed or canola
- 150 g yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 100 g carrot, roughly chopped
- 50 g celery, roughly chopped
- 330 ml porter or stout beer
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Creamy Onion Soup
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 600 g white onions, thinly sliced
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 150 ml double cream, room temperature
- fine sea salt
Porter Soda Bread
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 250 g whole wheat flour
- 7 g baking soda
- 6 g fine sea salt
- 200 ml buttermilk, cold
- 100 ml porter or stout beer, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 150C/300F. Pat the pork cheeks completely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat the neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork cheeks in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the Dutch oven. Saute until they begin to soften and caramelize, about 8 minutes.
Pour the porter beer into the Dutch oven, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
Return the pork cheeks to the pot. Pour in the 500ml of chicken stock, add the thyme and bay leaves. The liquid should come about halfway up the cheeks. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven to braise until the meat yields completely to a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 90C/195F.
Increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F if the pork is finished, or use a second oven. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the cold buttermilk and cold porter. Mix gently with your hands or a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass. Do not overwork.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a round loaf. Place on a baking sheet and use a sharp knife to score a deep cross into the top of the loaf.
Bake the soda bread at 200C/400F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is dark and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
While the bread bakes, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced white onions and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized, about 40 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the 400ml of chicken stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
Transfer the onion and stock mixture to a high-speed blender. Add the room temperature double cream and blend on high until completely smooth and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Keep warm.
To serve, ladle a generous pool of the hot creamy onion soup into shallow bowls. Carefully place two warm braised pork cheeks in the center of the soup. Serve immediately with thick slices of the warm porter soda bread.
Chef's Notes
- Pork cheeks require heavy trimming. Take your time to remove the silvery fascia on the outside of the cheek, as it will remain unpleasantly chewy even after hours of braising.
- When caramelizing the onions for the soup, patience is key. If they start to catch or burn, add a tablespoon of water to the pan to lower the temperature and scrape up the fond.
- Do not skip scoring the soda bread. The traditional cross cut allows heat to penetrate the thickest part of the dough, ensuring the center bakes completely before the crust burns.
- For an extra layer of flavor, reduce the braising liquid left in the Dutch oven after the pork cheeks are done, strain it, and glaze the cheeks with it right before plating.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the pork, soup, and bread in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze pork and soup separately. Do not freeze the soda bread as it will become crumbly.
Reheating: Reheat soup and pork gently on the stovetop over low heat until the pork reaches 74C/165F. Toast the soda bread.
