Pork cheeks: What is the best way to cook them?

Pork cheeks are a hidden gem. Perhaps not as hidden as they were years ago, because they are rising in popularity.

Properly cooked, they become incredibly tender and melt in your mouth. Delicious! If you want to try a different piece of pork, pork cheeks are a great alternative.

What are pork cheeks?

Pork cheeks are, as the name implies, the cheeks from a porks head. Because of chewing, the cheeks are constantly moving. Therefore, this is a very tough piece of meat. But that doesn’t mean that the pork cheeks are any less tasty; on the contrary. Pork cheeks are super tasty.

Pork cheeks contain a lot of gelatin, which causes a certain degree of stiffness in the muscle. Usually meats that contain a lot of gelatin can be made more tender by slowly cooking them. This is the case with pork cheeks as well, which is why you often see them in stews.

The good news is that pork cheeks are cheap. Although the butcher may not always have them in stock, you can always order them easily. With pork cheeks you can serve a super tasty recipe for relatively little money.

Other names:
United States: Pork Cheeks
Germany: Schweinebacke
Spain: Carrilleras
Dutch: Varkenswangen