Bochechas de Porco com Vinho do Porto (Pork Cheeks Braised in Port)
- Prep
- 30 min
- Total
- 2 h 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Pork cheeks braised in port turn a cheap cut into tender meat in a dark, glossy sauce. The cheeks cook slowly in port, garlic and spices until they fall apart, which takes about two and a half hours, almost all of it hands-off.
The dish has roots in the Douro, the region of port wine and pig farming. For a long time cheeks were an undervalued part of the animal, used in simple dishes; they earned their place at the table for their deep flavor and the soft texture they get from slow cooking.
Recipe
Bochechas de Porco com Vinho do Porto
Pork cheeks marinated overnight in port, white wine and smoked paprika, then cooked slowly until very tender. A dish with a rich sauce for a special dinner.
Ingredients
Method
- 1The day before, season the cheeks with salt, black pepper, the paprika, the bay leaves, the white wine, the port and a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the onions cut into half-moons, the sliced garlic and the carrot rounds. Mix well, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge until the next day.
- 2Turn the oven on to 150 °C (300 °F).
- 3Heat a drizzle of olive oil in an ovenproof pot with a lid.
- 4Take the cheeks out of the marinade and brown them in the oil until they're colored and seared.
- 5Pour the marinade over the cheeks, mix well, cover and bake for two to two and a half hours.
- 6Uncover now and then to check the liquid: if it's getting dry, add a little water.
- 7At the end, if the sauce is too thin, put the pot on the stove, take a little sauce into a bowl, let it cool and stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch until smooth, then pour it back into the pot, stirring until it thickens.
Tips
Slow cooking turns the collagen in the cheeks into gelatin, which is what makes the meat so tender and the sauce so velvety. In a pressure cooker, allow 35 to 40 minutes.
Ruby port gives a fruitier, fuller sauce; Tawny a sweeter, nuttier one. Avoid white port here.
Serve with white rice, mashed potato or boiled vegetables, and bread for the sauce.
