Equipment
Ingredients
Iberico Pork Cheeks
- 800 g iberico pork cheeks, trimmed of excess silver skin
- 30 ml olive oil
- 150 g yellow onion, diced
- 100 g carrot, diced
- 100 g celery, diced
- 3 garlic, crushed
- 250 ml ruby port wine
- 500 ml chicken stock, low sodium
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 1 bay leaf, dried
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Parmesan Polenta
- 600 ml chicken stock
- 200 ml whole milk
- 150 g polenta, coarse ground cornmeal
- 50 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 60 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
Dressed Radicchio
- 150 g radicchio, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
Pat the pork cheeks dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork cheeks in batches until deeply browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove cheeks with tongs and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and crushed garlic to the residual fat in the Dutch oven. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized.
Pour in the ruby port wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
Return the pork cheeks to the pot. Pour in the chicken stock, add the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise until the cheeks reach an internal temperature of at least 90°C/195°F and are completely tender.
About 40 minutes before the pork is done, bring 600ml of chicken stock and 200ml of whole milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Slowly rain the coarse polenta into the boiling liquid while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and cook, whisking every 5-10 minutes, until the polenta is tender and thick.
Remove the polenta from the heat. Vigorously stir in the cubed butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until thoroughly incorporated and creamy. Keep warm.
Carefully transfer the cooked pork cheeks to a plate. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced to a glossy, sauce-like consistency.
In a mixing bowl, gently toss the torn radicchio with the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the creamy Parmesan polenta among shallow bowls. Place the pork cheeks in the center, generously spoon the port glaze over the meat, and arrange a handful of dressed radicchio on the side before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Iberico pork has a higher fat content than standard pork. Trimming the thick outer layer of silver skin is crucial, but leave the intramuscular fat untouched as it melts to create a luxurious texture.
- For the port wine reduction, a ruby port is preferred over tawny because of its vibrant, jammy fruit profile which pairs perfectly with rich, savory pork.
- Polenta requires patience. Cooking it slowly over low heat allows the corn grains to fully hydrate and swell, preventing a gritty final mouthfeel.
- Resting the cooked cheeks in their braising liquid off the heat for 15-20 minutes before reducing the sauce allows the meat to reabsorb lost moisture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store braised cheeks and polenta separately. Dressed radicchio does not keep.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze cheeks in braising liquid. Do not freeze polenta or radicchio.
Reheating: Reheat cheeks gently in their sauce over low heat. Reconstitute polenta with a splash of milk or stock while heating.
