Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 lb. Cheek Meat, silver skin removed
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 slices Hickory Smoked Bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
  • 1 cup burgundy wine
  • 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • Pork or chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh thyme leaves

Details

Product:

Bacon, Pork Cheek

Meal Course:

Dinner

Dish Type:

Entrée

Preparation

  1. Combine onion, celery, carrots and garlic in food processor bowl; process to coarse paste.
  2. Brown cheek meat in olive oil in 4-quart stock pot. Remove from pot.
  3. Cook bacon until done but not crisp. Add onion mixture to bacon; sauté over medium-high heat until moisture has evaporated, stirring frequently.
  4. Add tomato paste; cook until browned. Stir in wine; cook until reduced by half.
  5. Place browned cheeks into pot with crushed tomatoes. Add enough stock to cover meat. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally until pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
  6. Remove meat from sauce; pull apart or roughly chop and return to pot. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve on pasta or open-faced on thick slices of toasted Italian bread. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves.