Pork Cheek Sliders
Recipe created by the Braai-Q BBQ Team (www.braaiq.com). A secret from chefs and butchers alike, BBQ pork cheeks are like pulled pork but with the taste dialed up multiple times. They are intense, succulent and extremely tender when cooked low and slow.
Ingredients
- 12 Johnston’s Pork Cheeks
- 12 slider buns
- House of Q house rub or your favourite BBQ rub
- 500 ml cider
- House of Q Apple Butter BBQ sauce or your favourite BBQ sauce
- 1 large red onion sliced thin
- pickles sliced thin and drained
Instructions
- Trim all fat and silver skin off each pig cheek.
- Liberally sprinkle BBQ rub all over pig cheeks on both sides and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Regardless of whether you’re grilling on charcoal or gas, first set up your grill with direct and indirect heat zones. We are targeting to have the indirect zone around 225°F. If you wish to add some smoke to add some flavor, you can add some of your favourite wood chips in a pouch and add to the direct zone.
- Put the cheeks directly on the grill on the indirect zone (as far away from direct heat) for approximately 3 hours.
- Remove the cheeks from the grill and place in a disposable foil container next to each other and add about 250ml of cider to the container, cover with foil ensuring you have no gaps for moisture to escape. “Drink the left over Cider” – You deserve it.
- Place the foil container back in the BBQ on indirect heat zone for another 1.5 to 2 hours.
- At this time, the pig cheeks should be tender like butter (if not, leave them on for another 15 to 20 minutes). Remove the pig cheeks from foil container and place back on the grill (indirect zone again) and liberally brush all sides with your BBQ sauce and leave on BBQ for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce has caramelized.
- Tear each cheek into large chunks and add to your slider bun with pickles and onions.
- ENJOY!!
Notes
Pigs cheeks are small and about the size of a small plum so you will need a few per person. Take your time to cook these babies until they are real soft and tender. You may need to ask your butcher to get some for you.
