How to cook cheek meat at home. Cheek in onion skins: recipe for cooking at home Cold smoked cheek: cooking recipes

On the eve of the Easter holidays, I wanted to diversify my diet. I saw fresh pork cheeks on sale and got an idea on how to cook them deliciously. I want to say right away that this recipe is not strictly for Easter. You can cook pork cheeks this way all year round, whenever you want. I just like to buy boiled pork, smoked meats and other unhealthy goodies for Easter. Therefore, I look closely and plan everything in advance.

Why I like the cheek, I won’t hide, is the price. This cut is half the price of brisket or pork chops. And when prepared correctly, the taste is practically not inferior to them. The cheek is a part of the pig's head, many people don't even know what it is or what it tastes like. So, jowl is essentially pork cheeks. This is lard on the skin with layers of meat. It is best to boil or bake the cheeks, as with regular salting they turn out to be very tough.

Therefore, today I will share a recipe for cooking pork cheek in the oven. Lard prepared in this way looks like smoked lard (due to cooking in onion skins), and tastes almost like boiled pork, but with lard.

Products for cooking pork cheek in the oven

Pork cheek – 0.5 kg
Onion peel - 1 large handful (from 6 onions);
Bay leaf - 1 tablespoon;
Ground coriander - 1 teaspoon;
Rosemary - 1 teaspoon;
Tarragon (tarragon) - 1 teaspoon;
Sweet peas - 10 pcs.
Salt - 3 tablespoons;
Water - 1.5 liters.

Recipe for cooking pork cheek in the oven

First, let's get some onion skins. You don't need as much of it as you think. I only had 6 onions and I removed one top layer from each.

As for spices, you can use the ones you like. I prepared bay leaf (the most broken of the pack), ground coriander, rosemary, tarragon and allspice. You can add more spices; if you like it spicier, you can replace them with others.

The onion peels must be thoroughly washed under running water to remove all the dirt and soil and placed in a saucepan. Fill the husk with clean water and add all the spices and salt there.

Place the pan with the husks and spices on the stove and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the pork cheek under running cold water. I had a piece weighing 0.5 kg.

When the water with the husks boils, put the lard in a saucepan so that the water completely covers it and bring it to a boil again. Now you can reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid ajar for 1 hour. During the cooking process, you can turn the lard in the pan upside down or skin down a couple of times to ensure even coloring.

After an hour, carefully remove the boiled cheek from the pan and peel off any stuck husks and spices. At this stage, you can stuff or rub with garlic. But this time I didn't do it.

Wrap in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 250 degrees.

After 10 minutes, take the lard out of the oven, open the foil on top and put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes, reducing the temperature to 220 degrees.

After the time has passed, remove our dish from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature. In principle, it is already ready and the first samples can be taken. But I like it frozen from the refrigerator (cut thinner and easier).

Many people love the unique taste of pork head. And the cheek is one of the most delicious parts of the head!

Today we will prepare such a beautiful piece of cheek from a domestic pig. Since the piece is quite large (almost 2 kg), you can make two dishes from it at once: a baked roll and homemade sausage fried in the oven.

Making pork cheek roll

That half of the meat in the photo on the right will go to the roll. In addition to 1 kg of pork, we will need:

coarse salt – 7–8 g
garlic – 1 head
juniper – 10 berries
marjoram – 1 tsp. with a slide
allspice – 10 peas

Rub the cheek well with salt, sprinkle with marjoram, chopped garlic cloves, crushed juniper in a mortar and allspice. We put it in the refrigerator to salt for a day.

We roll the cheek into a roll and pull it as tightly as possible with a thick thread.

Place the cheek in a baking sleeve, cut side down, and place in the oven. Bake at 180°C for 1.5 hours.

At the end we get this delicious baked roll! Immediately cut off a piece to test while it’s hot, and leave the rest to cool.

Place the cooled roll in the refrigerator. We remove the threads only after it has completely hardened and become dense.

Making homemade cheek sausage

You can finely chop the pork with a knife, but it’s better to grind the cheeks in a meat grinder on a large wire rack - this will make the sausage more tender and better fried.

We twist the minced meat together with garlic, add salt, knead, and then season with spices. Seasoning options can be adjusted to suit your taste. This time it took 850–900 g of cheek:

coarse salt – 6–7 g
garlic – 1 head
spice mixture – 2 tsp.
ground nutmeg – 2 pinches
dried rosemary – 2 pinches
carnations – 3 buds
cognac – 50 ml
water – 80 ml

Having ground the cloves in a mortar, add them to the minced meat along with all the other spices (coriander, curry, basil, chili, hops-suneli, etc.).

Stir and add cognac.

Continue kneading, adding ice water little by little. Having received the desired consistency of the minced meat, we send it to ripen in the refrigerator for a day.

We take out the minced meat and stuff the intestines using a special attachment for a meat grinder.

If you don’t have a nozzle, you can stuff it like this:

Instead of a masher, you can simply push the minced meat with your hand, it’s even more convenient. The main thing is not to stuff the intestines too tightly - they may burst during frying.

Now we twist the resulting raw sausage (this one is more than 1.5 meters long) every 10–12 cm. We pierce each sausage 8–10 times with a thick needle.

Place the sausage in boiling water for 1 minute.

We take it out as soon as the intestines turn white. Place the sausage in a lightly greased frying pan and place in the oven.

Now bake at 200°C with convection turned on for about 35–40 minutes. If the meat is leaner, you can bake it for less time - be guided by the composition of the minced meat and the features of your oven.

The result is this beauty:

Great both hot and as a cold appetizer.

And to go with the roll and sausage – here’s some homemade wheat-rye bread!

Well, all this beauty now with mustard, horseradish, homemade adjika, and spicy ketchup!

Bon appetit!

Pork cheek belongs to the category of meat by-products. However, when smoked, this snack has a delicious taste. To prepare the dish yourself, you won’t need a lot of effort and money, since the cheek is quite inexpensive, and the smoking process is not complicated.

Composition and calorie content of smoked pork cheek

Externally, smoked cheek is similar to pork belly, but the layers of meat are slightly lighter and the fat content is higher. The product is high-calorie, has elastic and tender pulp.

In cooking, such lard is used as an independent dish (snack), as well as for preparing salads, soups, and sauces. If recipes call for smoked brisket or bacon, you can safely substitute less expensive cheek meat. The dish will only benefit from this.

The mineral composition of the product is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, iodine. Also, the presence of vitamins E, PP, and B groups has a beneficial effect on the human body. This is a very nourishing, tasty product that will lift your spirits and add energy.

Since the dish is high in calories, it is not recommended for people who are overweight. 100 g of smoked product contains:

Protein – 9.1 g.
Fat – 67.1 g.
Carbohydrates – 0.5 g.
Calorie content is 625 kcal.

Cooking hot smoked cheeks yourself

If you have a home smokehouse, you can cook the cheek with a garlic marinade. The taste of such a dish will not leave even the most fastidious gourmets indifferent.

For cooking you will need the following products:

Pork cheek (the freshest) – 1 kg.
Pepper mixture – 2 teaspoons.
Soy sauce (classic) – 3 tablespoons.
Salt – 100 g.
Garlic – 4-5 cloves.

Rinse fresh lard well and dry with a paper towel. Cut the lard into small pieces for easy smoking. Peel and chop the garlic (pass through a garlic press). Mix salt, pepper, sauce and garlic. Carefully coat the pieces of cheek on all sides with the resulting mixture, place in the prepared container, and leave in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Then clean off the excess spices with a knife and hang the lard in a ventilated place for 24 hours. During this time, the product will dry out and wilt a little. Next you can start smoking.

Before smoking, tie the lard with twine and hang it from the top of the structure. You need to pour fine sand or put foil on the bottom of the smokehouse to prevent the fat from burning.

Light a fire under the smokehouse. Firewood made from oak, alder, juniper or fruit trees is suitable.

Smoke over medium heat for 40 to 60 minutes. Let the lard rest in the fresh air for 1-2 hours, after which you can enjoy the delicate taste and fantastic aroma of the prepared dish.

Smoking with liquid smoke

If you don’t have a smokehouse, but really want to cook a delicacy, you can use the simplest method - smoking with liquid smoke. This type of product is not very beneficial for the body, but consuming it in small quantities will not cause any harm.

For this type of smoking you will need:

1 kg fresh pork cheek.
3 liters of water.
3-4 bay leaves.
10-15 pcs. black peppercorns.
1 teaspoon ground red pepper.
0.5 kg of coarse salt.
100 g onion peels.
4-5 cloves of garlic.
250 ml liquid smoke.

Preparation:

Cut the washed and dried lard into portions.

Pour water into a saucepan, add salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, husks, and liquid smoke. Mix thoroughly and boil for 2-3 minutes.

Dip pieces of cheek into the resulting marinade. Cook over moderate heat for about 50 minutes.

Remove the lard from the liquid, let it cool and dry.

Afterwards, rub the pieces with red pepper and finely chopped garlic. Wrap in cling film or foil and place in the freezer.

Before tasting, keep the lard at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. You can serve smoked cheek with horseradish, adjika or mustard. Bon appetit!

Article rating:

The cut from the cheeks of a pig's head, which consists of alternating layers of bacon and meat, is called cheek. It is not a valuable material when cutting a carcass and ends up as offal during the sorting process. Hence its relatively low cost. Nevertheless, the cheek does not lose popularity, as it has unique properties. When properly prepared, it can replace full-fledged lard, and when smoked it tastes like bacon.

Useful qualities of the product

For most people with average incomes, cheek is an excellent substitute for expensive delicacies, although the taste is practically not inferior to them. To better understand this element, you need to imagine fragments of cutting a pig carcass. The lower part of the neck extends to the brisket, and the side parts, covering the area under the ears, serve precisely for tenderloin.

In terms of its beneficial properties, cheek has absorbed all the indicators of lard and meat; it contains more fat than protein, and at the same time has a high calorie content. However, the vitamin content in the product is no lower than in meat tenderloin.

Eating lard and fatty meat in large quantities will negatively affect the condition of the body, because the harm caused by cholesterol in the blood is well known to everyone, especially recently. But in small quantities, sebaceous tenderloin not only brings certain benefits, but is also an indispensable component in the diet for any organism.

Fats and amino acids, which are more than enough in the cheek, improve metabolism. The energy released during the breakdown of fats is necessary for human life. The daily fat intake can easily be met by eating a few pieces of cheek. In small quantities, the sebaceous layer improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

There are rumors that bacon in any quantity is harmful, since cholesterol will certainly lead to atherosclerosis. In fact, jowl fat is capable of self-regulating this parameter. The fact is that when fats are broken down, carboxylic acid is released, which normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood.

With all the listed usefulness indicators, smoked cheek looks more profitable. The product, if it is not subjected to heat treatment, is able to retain all the vitamins throughout almost the entire shelf life. This means that smoke treatment will not only allow you to prepare a delicious delicacy, but also preserve the beneficial substances inherent in fresh pork meat.

Suitable recipe for hot smoking

If you seriously approach the issue of smoking different products, then as a guide you can find many recipes, from the simplest to the unique, amazing in their invention. As for the cheek or lard, it is recommended not to improvise, but to use old, well-tested methods.

Hot smoked cheek will be subjected to heat treatment during the cooking process. The smoke temperature in the smokehouse is about 120°C degrees. In such conditions, meat and lard will become soft and juicy after an hour of smoking. Therefore, when salting, there is no need to soak the product in a liquid marinade.

The most accessible way to prepare lard for hot smoking at home is considered to be simple salting. For it you need to prepare a sufficient amount of salt, a mixture of red and black ground pepper, garlic, bay leaf and soy sauce.

All spices are mixed in a suitable vessel, and then a little soy sauce is added. The mixture is stirred until a paste is formed, which must be rubbed onto each piece of cheek.
When cutting pieces, you must remember that the duration of the marinating and smoking process depends on their dimensions. Pieces of lard are placed in a plastic bag, from which the air should be removed. The product should last two days in a closed bag. It is advisable to place the package in a cold room or refrigerator.
After two days, the pieces are laid out on a cutting board, where it will be necessary to remove all remnants of the dry marinade with a knife. Salted lard should be air-conditioned by hanging it outside (if possible) or in a suitable room.

Marinating is a universal way to prepare a product

Everyone, even those far from the kitchen, has heard of such a concept as pickling. Its essence lies in the fact that the product is soaked in brine, and the purpose of such soaking is to introduce flavoring additives and asepsis of the product.

To achieve the first task, various spices are added to the marinade. Their quantity and composition may vary. Hence the varied recipes that the reader may encounter when getting acquainted with various sources. Only one ingredient remains unchanged - salt. By the way, it is a means to solve the second problem. Salted meat is absolutely unsuitable for any organisms.

A water-based brine is prepared. Its quantity must correspond to the mass of the product. For disinfection and sterility, the water is brought to a boil, and only then are all the prepared spices added.
The water should boil for 5 minutes, after which it cools. Pieces of cheek are immersed in the marinade for 1.5 days. Salted meat has a looser consistency due to the fact that salt breaks down the fiber, so the structure of the fibers changes.
The recipe with marinade is perfect for hot smoking, but if you choose a cold method, you will have to slightly increase the salt concentration. If for the first case 80 g per 1 liter of water is enough, then in the second case you will have to add almost the same amount of salt. There are no requirements for the remaining ingredients, since they do not affect the main process.

Boiled meat recipe

To make the smoked meat as soft as possible, in some cases it is boiled. This process proceeds in the same way as regular boiling, only the product does not reach readiness.

The advantage of this method is that all the necessary ingredients will be found among household supplies, and the result will be excellent regardless of how long the product has been in the smoke.

There is no separate recipe for cooked meat. As in the case described above, the marinade is prepared, boiled, but the cheek is immersed in boiling water and cooked for half an hour. Then it needs to be smoked just for the smell, since it will reach readiness very soon.

Selection of smoking material

Cold and hot smoking is produced by smoke that is released during the smoldering of wood material. The taste and smell of smoked meats largely depend on the composition and structure of this material, so one of the most important issues for any smoking process is the correct selection of wood.

You must be able to find something in between the quality of the result and the ability to get wood at home or in the country. As for the structure, preference is given to sawdust or wood chips.

To smoke the cheek, small twigs are not suitable, as there is a high probability of ignition, and this, in turn, will harm the product. In addition, small branches smolder quite quickly, and even in hot smoking conditions, when the process should last at least 1.5 hours, adding material by opening the smokehouse lid is not recommended.

If you have a choice between sawdust and wood chips, then it is better to choose the latter. The fact is that not every smoke is the same in composition. Smoke from wood chips has fewer heavy compounds, which reduces the level of harm to health. Heavy fractions in sawdust smoldering products are formed due to the fact that due to a lack of oxygen, the process of pyrolysis - the afterburning of harmful substances - is difficult.

Based on accessibility conditions, it is not always possible to give a clear answer. The fact is that if you have a special saw, preparing wood chips or sawdust will not be difficult. Otherwise, you will have to resort to the help of a store. Alder or beech chips are often found on sale. These materials are perfect for smoking, as they give the meat a tart taste and a characteristic aromatic smell. If you want to make additions, flavorings are used in the form of a juniper twig, which is added directly to the wood chips.

Difference between cold and hot smoking

Smoking jowl, like any other product, is a single process based on the smoldering of wood material under high temperature. But there is a significant difference that leads to completely different results; this difference determines the smoking method.

Hot smoked products are similar in consistency to baked or boiled substances. This happens from heat treatment. In this case, fiber is destroyed, fibers are restructured, and vitamins, unfortunately, are broken down. Such meat loses many of its beneficial properties; it cannot be stored for long, even if the most favorable conditions are created. The only storage method is to freeze the finished dish.

If you cold smoke meat, the fibers will retain their structure. Almost all the vitamins will be preserved, but the meat will be elastic and somewhat tough. They come up with a variety of ways to soften it: from pickling with vinegar to boiling. However, there are many lovers who value the real taste of fresh meat; they prefer only smoke treatment, even without unnecessary spices.

There are significant differences in the smoking procedure. Hot smoking lasts 1.5-2 hours. These data are conditional, since everything depends on the mass of the product. Cold smoking can take significantly longer. In some cases, you have to cook meat for a whole week. If you implement the above recipe, the dishes will be ready in two days.

In technological terms, differences exist in the devices themselves. The hot method smokehouse allows you to place both the smoldering material and the product in one box. That's why the smoke temperature is so high. The cold smoke device has a divided firebox and drawer. The distance between these parts is about two meters.

Despite the examples given, the two processes have much in common. The most important thing is to maintain a temperature range, avoid opening the box lid frequently, maintain a smoking time interval, and ventilate the product after it is ready. In both cases, smoked cheek will become a welcome decoration and dish on any table.

Cheek is a special product consisting of alternating layers of meat and fat. It resembles a scone, but differs from it in being more juicy and tender when cooked. Thrifty housewives actively introduce pig cheek meat into their family’s diet. They boil it in brine and bake it, but the most popular is smoked cheek, which you can buy in a store or cook yourself. An affordable product (cheese is cheaper than lard, and, even more so, meat) takes its rightful place on the holiday table and increases the energy value of the daily menu.

If you have a smokehouse, then deliciously preparing smoked pork cheeks will not be difficult. You can treat guests and enjoy yourself. The highlight of the dish is the preliminary marinating of the product in garlic sauce.

Ingredients:

Pork cheeks - 1 kg;
Garlic - 4 cloves;
Salt - 120 grams;
Classic soy sauce - 40 grams;
Pepper mixture - 2-3 teaspoons.

Cooking method:

Wash the fresh cheek thoroughly and dry the product with a paper towel.
Divide the piece into 3-4 parts of 200-300 grams each (this way the lard will be smoked better).
Chop the peeled garlic in any convenient way (knife, grater or using a press).
Add salt, ground pepper, soy sauce to the garlic mass, mix everything well.
Now you need to spread the resulting mixture on all sides of the pieces of cheek. Then place the lard in a convenient container and leave it to marinate for several days (from three to five) in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.
Remove the pieces of lard and leave them hanging for a day in a well-ventilated room. This stage is necessary so that the product has time to dry and slightly wilt.
Thoroughly clean the cheek of salt and spices.
Direct smoking - this procedure depends on the model of your smokehouse. Pieces of lard can be tied with twine and hung from the top of the structure or laid out on a wire rack.
Place sand on the bottom of the smokehouse or cover the bottom with foil (so that the dripping fat does not burn).
Light a fire under the structure using wood from fruit trees. You can also use alder, oak or juniper wood.
Smoking lasts 30-40 minutes. Then leave the lard in the fresh air for about an hour or two.

Calorie content and composition of the dish

The composition of 100 grams of smoked pork cheeks includes:

Proteins - 9 grams.
Fats - 66 grams.
Carbohydrates - 0.5 grams.

This product contains a lot of useful substances, vital microelements (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and others), antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins (E, PP). There is an opinion that when consuming lard, the brain more actively produces serotonin - the “happiness hormone”.

Of course, lard cannot be called a dietary food. For people losing weight who count the calorie content of their dishes, smoked cheek is contraindicated. The offal is not suitable for those who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases. But, if you are relatively healthy and do not complain about being overweight, be sure to eat the cheek.

We must admit that smoked cheek is the most delicious, but not the healthiest product. Raw salted lard will bring much more benefits to the body. But you still shouldn’t refuse the opportunity to enjoy smoked meats. This relatively inexpensive product is indispensable in the diet of people engaged in physical labor. In addition, if you do not want to quickly and strongly get drunk during a feast with strong alcoholic drinks, eat cheek as a snack.

Smoked cheek is good with horseradish, spicy mustard or adjika. They make sandwiches with it. The delicacy product is also added to salads, soups, and sauces.