More Cheek

Well as you might have guessed cooking a bunch of collards with a little guanciale didn't make much of dint in that cheek.  A friend in Paris gave me some dried peas a while ago and they've been sitting in my cupboard ever since time. Every time I think about cooking them, there isn't time to soak them, but perhaps I didn't need to bother.  However, as I knew they'd relish that pork fat, I planned ahead.

Here they are pois blancs du pays de Saint-Flour, and I soaked them overnight anyway. They come from the Cantal region of France and I thought they would be a good match with the fatty pork cheek.

I diced some cheek and cooked it slowly to render the lovely fat. Then I added a mirepoix, a mixture of diced onion, carrot, celery, a bay leaf and some thyme sprigs. Next the drained peas went in with the skin of cheek and some bouillon left over from cooking pig's feet. I cooked it all very slowly for about 3 hours. The peas maintained their shape and didn't get mushy.
Just before serving I blanched some Tuscan or black kale (cavolo nero). I'll make it again but will I dare to skip the soaking step? Next dish on the cheeky menu - bucatini all'amatriciana.