Pork cheeks are ridicously cheap in Thailand ( about 70 baht A$2.30 a kilo) and slow cooked are delicious. You don't have to buy the head, the cheeks are removed and have little fat, no more than, say, filet steak.

Thai-style Pork Cheeks (gɛ̂ɛm mǔu แก้มหมู)

Ingredients:

olive oil

12 whole Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง)

12 cherry tomatoes (má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet มะเขือเทศ)

I large roasted red capsicum (prík-yùuak พริกหยวก)

1kg pork cheeks (gɛ̂ɛm mǔu แก้มหมู), excess fat trimmed and cut in half

1 tbsp flour (bpɛ̂ɛng แป้ง), salt and ground pepper     

2 large garlic cloves (grà~tiiam กระเทียม), crushed

½ tsp ground cumin (yîi-ràa ยี่หร่า)

3 bird's eye chillis (prík kîi nǔu พริกขี้หนู)

150ml Chinese cooking  wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

500ml beef stock(náam-dtôm น้ำต้ม)

handful coriander, leaves picked (bai pàk-chii ใบผักชี)

4 thyme stalks (dtôn-taam ต้นไทม์)

Method:

Toss the cheeks in the seasoned flour.

Heat 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil in a large cast-iron  casserole and turn up the heat. Brown the pork cheeks all over in batches.

Add shallots, garlic, cumin and chillis and cook for a minute, then add the cooking wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan and mix in all the flavours.

Pour in the beef stock then bring the pan to a simmer. Place pan contents in a slo cooker and cook for 2 hours or until the cheeks are tender.

While the pork is cooking cut the capsicum in quarters, remove seeds and roast skin side top on gas top until burnt. Place in plastic bag and after cooling remove skin. Reheat with pricked cherry tomatoes just before serving and arrange on top of pork cheeks.

Scatter with coriander leaves and thyme and serve on brown rice with steamed beans or asparagus,.