Mark Aisthorpe's crispy pork jowl with burnt apple puree recipe
Pork and apple is a classic flavour combination, and this recipe takes it up a notch with a few surprising twists. Pork cheeks or jowls are cooked until tender, then seasoned, shaped, breaded and fried for a crispy, moreish bite.
It's all finished with a burnt apple purée, made by caramelising apples so they're at the brink of being burnt. The result is a sauce that dances with complex sweet and slightly bitter notes, like an especially sophisticated ketchup.
The recipe comes from Mark Aisthorpe, a contestant on the 2022 series of Great British Menu and head chef and owner of acclaimed pub The Bulls Head, near the Peak District. Mark, who is passionate about using seasonal, local ingredients and cutting down on food waste, created this and other dishes as part of a series with JAZZ apples, highlighting one of our most wasted foods.
Ingredients
For the pork jowls- 6 pig cheeks (pork jowls)
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 570 ml apple cider
- 1 handful rosemary, thyme and sage, finely chopped
- 1 apple (we like Jazz apples for this recipe)
- 8 g wholegrain mustard
- 35 g shallot, finely chopped
- 10 g parsley, finely chopped
- 10 g capers
- 1 egg, beaten
- 10 ml milk
- 20 g plain flour
- 200 g Panko breadcrumbs
- 6 apples
- 0.5 lemon, juiced
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Pork
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 180 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
For the pork jowls:
- Place the pig cheeks, onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage and cider into a pan, ensuring the liquid covers the cheeks. Bring to a boil, then place the lid on and simmer for 3.5 hours, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
- Strain the cheeks and discard the liquid (or save it for the best pork gravy).
- Pull the pig cheeks apart with a fork.
- Finely dice 1 apple, the parsley, capers, shallot and wholegrain mustard. Mix together with the shredded cheeks and season to taste.
- Place a rectangle of cling film on the work surface and place the mixture onto it. Roll tight to form a sausage shape, secure the ends and place in the fridge.
- Once the pork has set, cut the sausage into 2 cm (0.8 in) thick discs.
- Bread the pork discs by coating them in flour, followed by beaten egg or milk, and a coat of breadcrumbs.
- Deep fry at 180°C/350°F until golden or place in air fryer for 12 minutes.
For the burnt apple purée:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and place 6 apples on a tray. Bake until caramelised and falling to bits (you want them quite dark) for approximately 35 minutes.
- Transfer the burnt apples to a blender and blitz on full power until smooth. You will get a thick dark brown purée. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste and allow to chill before serving with the crispy pig jowls.
Recipe courtesy of JAZZ Apples, in collaboration with Mark Aisthorpe
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