Chef Kent Rathbun
Abucus Restaurant
Dallas Cowboys

Citrus-Glazed Pork Cheeks with Parsnip-Chive Puree
TO BRAISE THE PORK CHEEKS:
16 pieces berkshire pork cheek
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 ounces canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrot, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shallots, coarsely chopped
2 each bay leaves, fresh
3 tablespoons rosemary leaves, no stems, chopped
2 tablespoons thyme leaves, no stems, chopped
1/2 gallon orange juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 gallon grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
2 cups veal demi glaze
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 ounces corn starch
1 tablespoon whole butter
2 tablespoons orange zest
PARSNIP-CHIVE PUREE:
4 pounds parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
4 garlic cloves, shopped
4 shallots, shopped
2 cups heavy cream
Salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Make the Pork Cheek:
Preheat the oven to 275°F
Place pork cheeks in a large mixing bowl, season heavily with cracked black pepper, granulated garlic and kosher salt. Dust pork cheeks in flour and set aside.
In a large rondo add canola oil and heat to medium/high heat. Dust pork cheeks in flour for a second time and place into hot oil and saute on both sides until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Once pork cheeks have been turned and browned on both sides, remove from heat and set aside.
In the hot oil add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and shallots and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add bay leaves, rosemary leaves and thyme leaves and cover with orange and grapefruit juice. Add veal demi glaze and bring to a boil. While citrus glaze is returning to a boil, in a roasting pan place cheeks side by side in rows as tight as you can get into the pan. (It's better if they don't have a lot of room in the pan at this point. Using a perforated pan, add a perforated pan the same size as your roasting pan to keep them flat and pressed. Pour citrus and demi glaze mixture including vegetables over the top of the perforated pan so that the vegetables and herbs are separated from the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 275 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. After 2 1/2 hours lift and drain perforated pan and check the tenderness on the cheeks. They should be very very tender but still intact. When cheeks are tender remove from oven and let cool. Remove perforated pan and discard chopped vegetables. Carefully remove pork cheeks with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a large serving platter (cover with foil to keep warm).
Retain sauce in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the sauce to a simmer, and continue to cook sauce until sauce consistency is reached. (While sauce is simmering, make sure and skim all excess fat and impurities from the top of the sauce). Once sauce is reduced by half, thicken with corn starch slurry as needed. Strain through a fine mesh chinois. Whip in whole butter and orange zest.
Make the Parsnip-Chive Puree:
While the pork is in the oven, blanch the parsnips in a large pot of poiling water for about 4 minutes, until just starting to soften; drain.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the parsnips and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are very soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan and set aside until ready to serve.
When the pork and sauce are ready, heat the parsnip puree over low heat until thick and reheat (it should be the consistency of loose whipped potatoes). In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat and cook until it is brown and has a utty aroma, about 5 minutes. Whip the browned butter into the puree, season with salt to taste, whip in the chives. Serve immediately, with the pork.
Note: The sauce is extremely important and should be handled with care. Reduced slowly as you skim excess fat and impurities. Make sure the sauce is strained through a fine mesh chinois.