This recipe is adapted from a recipe in the book Quay by Peter Gilmore. The original recipe was Slow-Braised Berkshire Pig Jowl, Maltose Crackling, Prunes, Soubise Cream, Perfumed with Prune Kernel Oil. I adapted it as I don't have maltose, prune kernel oil, and also I wanted a sticky port glaze to coat the pork. The dish was such a treat, it was rich and decadent in flavour and best enjoyed as one of the courses in a degustation menu.
Difficulty: Medium/Difficult
Time: 10 hours (8 hours in sous vide)
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
Slow Braised Pork Jowl
- 4 pork jowl
- 500ml chicken stock
- salt
Tawny Port Prunes
- 8 prunes
- 100ml water
- 30ml tawny port
- 30ml sherry vinegar
Soubise Cream
- 1 large shallot diced
- 2 white celery stalks diced (inner part of the celery)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 50g unsalted butter
- 500ml unsalted chicken stock
- 100ml thick cream
Tawny Port Glaze
- 1/4 onion sliced
- 1/4 carrot diced
- 1 small garlic sliced
- 2 fresh thyme twigs
- 125ml tawny port
- 500ml chicken stock from the sous vide bag
- 500ml unsalted chicken stock
- remaining liquid from the prune
- 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
Baby Radish
- 12 baby radish
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt
Method
1. Start by putting the pork jowls into 2 separate zip lock bag with half of the chicken stock in each, season with salt. Place the ziplock bag into a 80 degree sous vide bath and cook for 8 hours. When the pork is ready, take it out, trim off the skin leaving only 5mm of the fat on the meat and trim into rectangle shapes. Keep it in the fridge until required. Keep the braising liquid in the bag for the glaze later.
2. Two hours before serving time, soak the prunes in hot water until softened for 15-20 minutes. Transfer it to a saucepan, add the Tawny port and sherry vinegar to the pot, bring to boil and gentle simmer for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Make the soubise cream by melting half of the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add the onion, celery and garlic and sweat until softened, careful not to let it colour. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil. Cook over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables become very soft. Transfer it to a food processor and blitz it into a smooth puree. Pass the puree through a drum sieve, keep it aside and keep warm (the cream will be incorporated just before serving).
4. Start on the glaze by caramelising the onion, carrot, garlic and trimmings from the pork jowl (only the more meaty part, not the full amount of fat) in a medium size saucepan until dark brown but not burnt. Deglaze with the Tawny port and reduce until about 1/5 of the liquid is left. Add the chicken stock, the braising stock from sous vide, liquid from braising the prunes, the tomato paste, fresh thyme. Cook over medium heat until half of the liquid has evaporated, then increase the heat and boil to reduce till about 100ml of the liquid is remaining. It should be thick, glossy and glaze like. Pass the glaze through a sieve and keep warm.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, generally brush the pork jowl with some of the glaze, and cook it in the oven for 10 minutes.
6. While the pork jowl is cooking in the oven, bring a pot of water to boil with some oil and salt. Cook the baby radish in the water for 1 minute. Coat with melted butter and salt.
7. Whisk the cream to a stiff peak. Gently incorporate the soubise mixture prepared earlier.
8. To assemble, dress the pork jowl with more glaze and place in the middle of the place. Place the prunes and radish next to the pork jowl on one side, and the soubise cream on the other. Dress with more glaze if you prefer and enjoy!
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