At a glance
You're in for a long, slow braise — pork cheeks take about 2 to 3 hours to turn tender and fall-apart delicious. The payoff is worth it: you'll get a rich, wine-forward sauce with olives and tomatoes, plus crispy sage leaves on top. Since most of the time is hands-off cooking, this is perfect for when you want something impressive but don't need to fuss constantly.
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Brown the meat
Heat the lard in a cast-iron pot and sear the salted, peppered cheeks until the meat is sealed and nicely darkened. Take the cheeks out of the pot, then add the onion, cut into half-moons, to the same pot.
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Add the tomatoes and sage
Sauté the onion until golden, adding a bit more lard if needed. Return the cheeks to the pot along with the tomatoes, cut into larger chunks, about 10 sage leaves, and all the olives.
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Pour in the wine
Pour in the wine and turn up the heat. Cook, stirring, until most of the wine has evaporated. Then top up with water so the cheeks are fully submerged, and braise until tender.
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