500mlveal stockif you can't find, try chicken and beef mixed or demi-glace meat stock
200mlwater
vegetable oil for frying
Garnish
1Pink Lady apple
5cmpiece of fresh ginger
1large red chilli
1bunch spring onions
2bok choi or pak choi
handful of fresh coriander
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 150CTrim the pork cheeks of any fat
In your casserole dish, add some oil and on a medium to high heat, sear the cheeks until golden brown. Then remove.
Dice the onion, carrot and celery and put into the casserole dish with the leftover juices etc from searing the cheeks. Cook until golden and caramelised.
Now, put the cheeks back in and reduce the heat to low.Add int he star anise, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cardamom, orange zest, pomegranate molasses, sweet soy, veal stock and water.
Cover with a cartouche (basically, baking paper that you put on the surface of the ingredients to prevent a skin forming). Then put the casserole dish lid on and cook for 2 hours or until the cheeks are soft.
Once done, remove the pork cheeks from the dish and strain the rest of the ingredients through a sieve over a pan.Reduce this sauce over a high heat to a coating consistency, then add the pork cheeks and glaze them in the sauce.
Garnish
Peel and dice the apple to thin strips. Peel and slice the ginger to very thin 5 cm strips.
Cut the chilli into thin rings and thinly slice the spring onions diagonally.
Halve the bok choi lengthwise and steam for 2 - 3 minutes or until tender.
Saute the apple and ginger strips in a little oil for 1 minute.
Assembly of the dish
Using a bowl plate (if you have one) put the bok choi in first. Add the braised pork cheeks and some sauce. Top with the apple and ginger strips, chilli, spring onions and coriander.