Introduction
This recipe was chosen for its sustainability. We value the effort farmers put into their produce and always look to use as much of an animal as possible. The cheeks are an under-used part of every animal, and it is great for slow cooking. All our meat comes from sustainable and traceable sources, we include vegetables from local producers.
We also use vegetables from a community garden, this is a great organisation that help vulnerable people, and their veg is fantastic! The herbs we use are not certified organic, but are from our own garden, grown from our own compost.
Method
For pork cheek stew
Peel and finely chop the vegetables, place in a pot and sweat vegetables in the olive oil till softening. Meanwhile sear the meat in a frying pan, best done in batches, then deglaze the pan with some water.
Place the vegetables and meat together along with the tomatoes and bay leaf and herbs into a pot, add the de-glazing water cover and simmer gently for 4 hours. Towards the end of cooking season with salt and pepper.
For ratatouille vegetables
Dice all the vegetables into even sized cubes, sweat them and the garlic in a couple tbsp of olive oil till softened. Add the herbs and the tomato puree and season to taste.
Both dishes can be made in advance and reheated when ready to serve.
