Name: Pork cheek ragu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 285 min
Yield: serving
Cuisine: Cooking Method
Ingredients: 1 kg pork cheeks trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks; 1 onion chopped; 2 garlic cloves, mashed; 6 bacon streaky rashers, chopped; oil for frying; 1 wine red; 1 chipotle paste; 410 g tinned tomatoes whole; 1 fresh oregano or dried; 2 bay leaves; salt to season; freshly ground black pepper; sugar dust; 1 water boiled

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Ingredients (14)

1 kg	pork cheeks — trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks
1	onion — chopped
2	garlic — cloves, mashed
6	bacon — streaky rashers, chopped
	oil — for frying
1	wine — red
1	chipotle paste
410 g	tinned tomatoes — whole
1	fresh oregano — or dried
2	bay leaves
	salt — to season
	freshly ground black pepper
	sugar — dust
1	water — boiled

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Heat a splash of oil in a heavy based oven proof dish with lid.

Fry the pork cheeks in batches over a medium high heat until brown and the edges starting to caramelise.

Set aside once fried.

Add more oil if needed and fry the onion and garlic until soft and transluscent and set aside.

Fry the bacon in the same pan until just starting to crisp and set aside.

Deglaze the pot with a qtr cup of the red wine and loosen all the bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add the chipotle paste and ancho chilli and simmer for a minute or so.

Add all the fried ingredients as well as the tomatoes, origanum, bay leaves, seasoning and boiling water.

Place the lid on top and place in the oven for 3 hours until the meat is soft and cooked.

Remove from the oven, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and tomatoes and simmer uncovered on top of the stove for another 30 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Check the seasoning and serve with polenta or another starch of your choice.

Reprinted with the permission of Heinstirred