Pork Cheeks with Olives and Tomatoes in Red Wine
·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.
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.
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.
Braise until tender
Depending on the size of the cheeks, this takes around 2 hours, sometimes up to 3. The cheeks are done when they fall apart easily at the touch of a fork. Remove the meat from the sauce, then reduce the sauce over high heat to the desired consistency.
Fry the sage
Heat some lard in a clean, small frying pan. Fry the sage leaves over medium heat until crispy — they'll change colour and darken.
Prepare the tarhonya and olive skewers
Tarhonya makes a fantastic side dish — prepare it according to the package instructions. You can also serve the meal with little tomato and green olive skewers.
