Whisky-Smoked Pork Cheeks
Pork cheeks are an underrated cut that becomes incredibly tender and flavorful through slow hot smoking. The combination of a whisky marinade and beech wood smoke gives the cheeks a deep, complex flavor. After smoking, they fall apart buttery soft and are excellent in sandwiches or as a main course.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Marinating
15 minutes + 12 hours resting timeCombine whisky, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, pepper, and garlic powder into a marinade. Trim the pork cheeks of sinew, place them in the marinade, and marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Preparation and Smoking Start
30 minutesRemove the cheeks from the marinade and pat dry. Preheat the smoker with beech wood and whisky-soaked oak chips to 130 °C. Place the cheeks on the grate.
Slow Smoking
5-6 hoursSmoke the cheeks at 130 °C until they reach an internal temperature of 88 °C. Baste with the remaining marinade every 90 minutes. Wrap in butcher paper if the crust becomes too dark.
Resting and Serving
20 minutesRemove the cheeks from the smoker, wrap in butcher paper, and rest for 20 minutes. Then pull apart roughly or slice and serve.
Pro Tip
Add whisky-soaked oak chips to the smoker chamber to reinforce the whisky theme in the smoke. The whisky in the marinade should have a smoky character like Islay Scotch.
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