Ingredients

12 pig’s cheeks
500ml bottle ruby ale
120g laverbread
clear honey
2 carrots, peeled
120ml cider vinegar
250ml water
Small piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
mayonnaise
100ml ruby ale
2 tbsp dark soft brown sugar
1 tbsp mustard powder
pinch of cayenne
dash of Worcestershire sauce

Method

Pig's Cheeks
Toss the pig’s cheeks in a little flour, lightly seal all over in a hot oiled pan and place in a slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with a bottle of good ruby beer, add the laverbread, stir and pour over the cheeks. Cook for 4 hours until soft and tender. I love my slow cooker but obviously this would work just as well braised in a low oven for 3 or 4 hours. Remove to a warm tray. In a pan reduce the beer and laverbread juices aggressively until thick, add a little honey to balance any bitterness from the beer. You will end up with a rich, glossy sauce.
Pickled Carrots
Using a peeler, slice the carrots into long ribbons and set aside in metal bowl. Boil the rest of the ingredients together until the sea salt and sugar have dissolved to make the brine, strain over the carrot ribbons, cover and leave to cool to room temperature.
Beer Mustard Mayo
Whisk the beer, sugar, mustard powder, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise until you have a thick and creamy, but still fiery, sauce.
To plate, carefully warm a couple of pig’s cheeks through in the beer and laverbread sauce and arrange on a plate. Arrange a salad with a small handful of the pickled carrot ribbons, a few shoots and capers and finish with a spoonful of the beer mustard mayonnaise.

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