Pork or pork ribs is not the most precious part of a pig. Few people know that there is a part on a pig that weighs only about 2 taels but is very nutritious and valuable, like thousand-year-old ginseng or bird’s nest, so if you see it, don’t ignore it.
How to choose fresh and delicious pig cheeks
According to nutrition experts, this part of pig cheeks is very rare, so if you want to buy it, you have to go to the market early or even ask the seller to reserve it. Especially when buying pig cheeks, housewives need to note the following characteristics:
– The surface of the pork cheek should be dry, not wet. If you touch the meat, it seems to be wet, it may have been injected with water or frozen.
– Fresh and bright meat color, pink, not dark.
– The meat has no strange smell, does not leak water, and is less flexible.
How to cook delicious pig cheeks
Pig cheeks have soft tendons and fat in between each layer of meat, so they are not tough, fibrous, or dry but extremely tender. If you can buy pig cheeks and then cook them, any dish you make will be delicious, but boiling or steaming will keep the natural sweetness of the meat better. One of the simplest dishes is stew, you can refer to the recipe to treat the whole family!
The ingredients include:
– 500g pork cheeks
– 1 garlic bulb
– 1 onion
– Brown sugar, cinnamon, vinegar, cornstarch, cloves, peppercorns, rice wine, soy sauce
How to cook delicious pig cheeks:
– Rinse the pork cheeks, soak them in diluted saltwater to make them cleaner and remove the fishy smell. Then, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
– Peel and clean the garlic and onion. Slice the onion into wedges.
– Blanch the meat in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.
– Remove the meat and put it in a pot. Add the onion, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and peppercorns one by one, pour enough water to submerge the meat. Cover the pot, bring to a boil.
– When the water boils, open the pot, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar and ½ tablespoon of rice wine to the pot. Simmer for about 7-8 minutes, then remove the cinnamon and cloves. Season with brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce to taste. Continue cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes.
– When the meat is tender and the liquid is almost gone, dissolve ½ tablespoon of cornstarch in water and pour it into the pot. Stir well so that the meat sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.
This dish has tender and delicious pork cheeks, rich and smooth sauce, it is delicious with rice or bread.