THE NEXT BIG THING

It seems that these day’s food fashions come along about as often as rainy days, often turning an unwanted cheap cut of meat or fish into the latest trend menu item and usually bumping up the price along the way.

The truth is that these cuts are often prided amongst those in the know but are overlooked by the general population until brought into the public eye by some food guru or another.

The lamb shank, the pork belly and the monkfish tail are all great examples of once overlooked cuts that have now stood the test of time to become household items.

Many of these products are not just the cheaper less wanted items but are often unavailable as supply and demand dictates the way we shop and eat.

The problem is that it is hard to demand something when you are not aware of its existence and often all it takes is a nudge into the lime light and a bit of an explanation on how to use it and suddenly everyone is garnishing with rocket leaves and eaten roasted bone marrow.

For the industry this is great as fishermen no longer need to sort and throw back that ugly dog fish (that they’ve been eating for years anyway), cuts of meat that were previously thrown through the mincer can start to fetch a half decent price and us chefs have a little more variation in the products we cook with safe in the knowledge it will sell.

So what’s the next big thing going to be on the tables in London restaurants and coming soon to a supermarket near you?

An item readily available in any Spanish supermarket, ladies and gentlemen I give you the pig cheek. Yes that’s right the pig cheek is what I have my money on.

I know what you are thinking and you are proving my point. “the what”  “I didn’t know you could eat that”  “I’ve never seen those before”. That is because it is virtually impossible to buy a pig cheek in England.

When I asked a local catering butcher for cheeks I was told I may be able to get a few from time to time but they all go in the mince.

Well I could hardly put them on my menu with that kind of guaranteed availability.

I should now point out that pig cheeks are a fantastic cut of meat, and that’s exactly what they are, a cut of meat. There is no weirdness about a cheek, no nasty bits just two pieces of meat separated by a bone.

The pig cheek is suitable for slow roasting, pot roasting and braising all with fantastic results.

What we are waiting for is someone like Gordon Ramsay or Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall to publicize it a bit and we’ll be away. Pig cheeks for all. In the meantime remember supply and demand, get out there and hassle your butcher, you won’t regret it.

                                              Slow roasted pig cheeks with lentil casserole