I've made a boo-boo, and I need a good cook to tell me what to do...

[QueenJane]

DH was working away, so I decided to make a nice dinner for him coming home. I like to think I'm proficient in the kitchen. I found a recipe for a lovely pork casserole using cheeks. Never used them before, but have used beef cheeks and they were super delicious. Went to our local butcher and asked him to order in 12 pork cheeks, which is what the recipe asked for to serve 4. He looked a bit puzzled, but I had my confident pants on and he didn't say anything else. The next day I went to collect, and the butcher appeared with two large bags of meat, 7kg in all, totalling £60 . Obviously it was my stupid mistake, so I didn't say anything, paid and left.

Having got home I've realised that the recipe asked specifically for 12 pork cheek "medallions, not the whole cheek". So I basically have 6 pig's faces in my freezer and no clue what to do with them. Can I make casseroles with the whole cheeks? What can I do with them??

[Doh9899]

Leave the cheeks on the pig if you're not gonna bother reading the whole recipe first. What a waste of 6 animals lives.

[AnnieOH1]

There are fabulous recipes for whole and half head of pig, I am very envious. :)

[AgentProvocateur]

Yes, you can make casseroles with whole cheeks, but you’ll need to cook it on a low heat for a long time and then the meet will just fall apart. Have you actually got six whole pig heads?

[Aprilmightbemynewname]

I sent dh to buy fish for Good Friday lunch, 3 tails ends and 7 middle pieces of cod.
He text me was £70 a good price.
Yeah if I wanted to start a seal life centre and they were live fish!!.
Sent him for a refund and spend £35 elsewhere.

[calzone]

Oh goodness!!!

What an expensive mistake..

[QueenJane]

Not whole heads, but I'm guessing the best part of the whole cheek. There is some lovely looking meat on them, but a lot of fat too. Not sure whether to just chop it up for a casserole or try and butcher it into fillets.

Sorry Doh9889, you obviously misunderstood me. The pigs were already dead. I don't think the butcher went out with a cleaver and slaughtered 6 random pigs.

[Stillnotready]

I’ve never cooked with pork cheeks, but with such a glut of pork I’d suggest getting hold of a mincer and using it up that way. You can make meatloaf, meatballs burgers , pasta sauce etc. You could have a go at making a raised pork pie, or mix the mince with very finely chopped onion and spices to make a sausage type recipe and make sausage rolls?
www.amazon.co.uk/s/?hvlocphy=9050373&hvnetw=g&keywords=spong%20mincer&hvadid=259115185861&index=aps&ref=pd_sl_8yefzvuyby_e&hvpos=1t1&hvdev=t&hvqmt=e&ie=UTF8&hvtargid=kwd-314780162064&adgrpid=56066461387&hvrand=13236091956719114213&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Stillnotready]

Thinking about it you could try this recipe for pork rilettes ( yummy pate type thing) or do pulled pork. I make pulled pork in a slow cooker and any leftovers go in the freezer
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/christmas-pork-rillettes

[AdaColeman]

As well as casseroles, you could make meat balls to freeze for quick dinners with sauce in the future, but a chunky country style pate would also be a very good use for the fatty cut of pork.
Have a look on BBC website for ideas.

[MotherofTerriers]

You could maybe do pulled pork with them if you cook them slowly for a long time. Do you have a slow cooker?

[AdaColeman]

Also, Google Nigel Slater's recipe for pork cheeks in The Guardian, a wonderful ragu! You will be ordering more pigs cheeks after you have eaten it!

[QueenJane]

Thank you! I think some of it I will mince. Didn't realise how reasonably priced mincers were.

I will certainly check out Nigel Slater's recipes too. I do have a slow cooker, so I could experiment with a small amount chopped up in a casserole. Feeling much more positive about the whole situation

[Celebelly]

Christ, you're a miserable sod.

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

I think anyone with a reasonable sized freezer could accommodate 7kg of meat until they get round to using it Doh, plus OP is utilising the lesser-used parts of the pig so that's a good thing.

I don't think the pigs were slaughtered to OP's specs and the rest thrown in the skip.

[QueenJane]

You clearly have misunderstood. Completely.

I intend to use all of it to the best of my ability, which is why I've asked the question

I like to use cuts that are less popular, such as oxtail and beef cheek, thus respecting the animal by using all of it. The pigs were already dead, and their loin fillets, sausages, bacon and gammon joints already gracing displays in lots of butchers.

I don't have 6 animals in my fridge. Just their cheeks, and they are safely frozen for now.

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

Plus she could make tonnes of rillettes, they last for months in the fridge in a Kilner with a layer of fat it the top (and are bloody lovely, I make my own).

[Huffinpuff]

Your stupidity has left 6 animals in a fridge

OP said they were in the freezer, where they could remain indefinitely until she wants to use them. If we want to get onto the subject of stupidity...

[bridgetosomewhere]

doh did you mean to be so rude?

Op is asking for recipes not to be flamed and told she is stupid.

[halfwitpicker]

Doh is obviously having a bad day.

Could you do a pressed pork recipe op? A la Famous Five? Sounds like the cheeks would work for that kind of recipe.

[Pannacott]

That is funny. We love beef cheeks casseroled with red wine and star anise. I'm pretty sure you could do some lovely things with yours - white wine, prunes and bacon? With herbs and beans?

[QueenJane]

Pressed pork as in a meatloaf/pate type thing? That's similar to rillettes I think? I'm afraid I haven't read the Famous Five (I'm going to get flamed again, aren't I?)

I'm going to Google recipes for everything you've suggested, many thanks!

[Tattybear16]

A slow cooker is your friend here, and you won’t have the heat of the oven warming the kitchen whilst the weather is so gorgeous.

Pork casserole is lovely, onion, carrot, parsnips, celery, then add some Italian herbs and crushed fennel seeds, tin of chopped tomatoes, drop of red wine and pop the lot in the slow cooker. You can serve it with rice or polenta.

Pork chilli con carne, same as a standard beef recipe, just use pork. Swap the kidney beans out for a tin of mixed beans to change it up a little. Can use the pork either diced or minced for this and pop everything in the slow cooker. Serve it with rice or jacket potatoes

Pork curry as hot and spicy as you like served with naan breads, pilau Rice, popadoms, chickpea and spinach Dahl.

Sausage plait, mince your pork, fry it off with a diced onion and mix with Italian herbs, a little garlic, let it cool and wrap it in puff pastry, and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. Gorgeous with a salad.

Loads of recipes for pork on BBC food website.

Prep all your pork, diced or minced and freeze it in bags, then take it out and defrost when you want to put a meal together.

I normally buy my meat in bulk as it’s cheaper. Little bit jealous, as my mouth is watering thinking about all the yummy recipies. Nom nom nom.

[bilbodog]

I use pork cheeks a lot. Delia has a lovely pork in cider recipe i do but use pork cheeks. I dont cut them up but pan fry to get some colour on then slow cook for 2/3 hours. They are goegeous. I would think you need 2 per person - therye not that big once cooked. Put the rest in the freezer and use again in a few weeks. It must be an expensive butcher - they are quite cheap in waitrose!

[bilbodog]

Im just wondering if he has given you pork cheeks or something else? Thats expensive.