Thai-Style Braised Pork Cheeks

Exceedingly tender and perfectly sweet.

Updated September 21, 2020

Recipe Details

Thai-Style Braised Pork Cheeks Recipe

Active 20 mins

Total 3 hrs 20 mins

Serves 6 servings

To Garnish:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Place cheeks in pot or braising pan. The cheeks should cover the surface of the vessel. Add enough water so that cheeks are halfway submerged. Add add soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, and chiles to pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and cook until very tender, about 2 hours.
De-fat the mixture, either by skimming off the liquid fat or refrigerating the meat and letting the fat solidify on the top. Remove meat from liquid and gently break into bite-sized chunks (meat will be very tender). Heat sauce in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Sauce should be rich and syrupy. Return meat to sauce and heat through. Serve immediately, garnished with herbs and fried shallots. Serve with rice.

3 quart saute pan or braising pot, or other non-reactive container such a Pyrex baking dish

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	320
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 6g	29%
Cholesterol 100mg	33%
Sodium 1005mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	3%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 1mg	5%
Calcium 38mg	3%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 473mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.