Braised pig cheeks with Apple and fennel

For 4 generous serving you need

500g trimmed pig cheeks

30 ml cake flour

3ml salt

3ml ground black pepper

50ml canola oil

2 medium white onions, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced

200ml pork or chicken stock

200ml dry white wine

200ml crushed tomatoes (I use a good quality Italian brand)

3-4 star anise

7ml fennel seeds

To prepare

Cut the cheeks in half or quarters

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper and coat the meat with the flour

Heat the oil and add the meat. Allow the meat to brown.

Add the onions and garlic and sauté it for a few minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Instead of pressure cooking place mixture into a heat resistant dish, cover with foil or a lid and bake at 180°C for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

In the oven the liquid will evaporate, so best check it every 40 minutes and if necessary add more stock and wine.

During pressure cooking there will not be any moisture loss, so I strained the gravy from the meat and apple mix, taking care not break up the apple and meat too much. I then placed the sauce into a pan and reduced it by 50%, concentrating the flavours and resulting in a thicker sauce. This sauce was added back to the meat, to reheat it before serving.