Main course: Pork Cheeks with Cuvée Oncle Pol

Prepared with:

CUVÉE ONCLE POL

Ingredients:

• 1 kg pork cheeks (trimmed and peeled)
• 75 cl Cuvée Oncle Pol
• 2 big onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 200 g dried apricots
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• parsley stalks (if available) 
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 2 tbsp strong mustard
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• butter
• pepper and salt

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
Check that the pork cheeks have been carefully trimmed and peeled. Trim the fleeces off without damaging the meat. Use a very sharp knife. 
Cut the cheeks into two equal pieces. 
Place a big stewing pot on medium heat. Melt in a big lump of butter. 
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and freshly grounded pepper over the meat.
Sear the pork cheeks on both sides till they are nicely golden and crusty without touching them too much.
Peel the onions and chop into big pieces. Take the meat out of the stewing pot and add the onions to the pot. Simmer the onions in the baking fat of the meat.
Crush the garlic and stir trough the stewing onions.
Add the cinnamon stick, the star anise and the cloves.
Use a kitchen rope to assemble a ‘Bouquet Garni’ consisting of bay leaves, sprigs of thyme and (if available) some parsley stalks. 
Add the ‘Bouquet Garni’ to the pot and dust all over with flour. Stir and let simmer for a while. Be careful, this burns easily.
Put the pork cheeks back in the pot, pour in the brown beer and give it a stir.
Cut the dried apricots in bite-sized pieces, add them to the stew, together with the strong mustard, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Put the lid on the pot, slide in the oven at 170°C. Let stew for 2 hours.


credit: dagelijkse kost