Braised Iberian pork cheek and mushroom ravioli with Finca Martelo sauce
At the Torre de Oña winery, we make Finca Martelo, but not only that: you can eat in our very own dining room. Our in-house chefs Paloma, Arrate and Alicia are specialists in the authentic Riojan dishes to the more innovative cuisine. These Iberian cheek and mushroom ravioli with Finca Martelo sauce are the perfect blend between tradition and modernity, between local and global. As the saying goes in Spain, you’ll want to “wet your bread” in this sauce to not let a single drop go to waste.
Ingredients
- 6 pork cheeks, if possible Iberian
- 1 medium onion
- 2 carrots
- 100 g wild mushrooms such a boletus
- Fresh herbs to taste such as thyme and parsley
- 12 wonton wrappers/skins
- 1 cup of beef stock or bone broth
- A splash of brandy
- 1 small glass of Finca Martelo
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
For the sauce:
- 1 spring onion
- 1 pinch of flour or cornflour
- 300 ml of Finca Martelo wine
- 100 g of melted butter (3.53 oz)
- A splash of brandy
- Good quality salt and black pepper
- A squeeze of lemon juice
Preparation
Starting with the preparation of the ravioli filling, finely chop the onion, carrots and herbs. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan then add the chopped onion and carrots followed by the cheeks, season with salt and pepper and add the herbs. Then stir in the glass of Finca Martelo wine, the brandy and the stock. Simmer until the cheeks reach the desired degree of tenderness.
Once the cheeks are cooked, put to one side then blend the sauce left in the pan in a blender and strain through a sieve.
Take the cheeks and chop and shred the meat. Finely chop the mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix in the meat. Stir the mixture well and add a little of the cheek sauce made previously.
Carefully assemble the ravioli using the wonton wrappers and boil for 2 minutes.
The Finca Martelo sauce
Finely chop the spring onion and fry in a little olive oil. Add the flour and fry for a minute. Pour in the 300 ml of Finca Martelo wine and reduce by half. Strain through a sieve. Slowly pour in the butter bit by bit while whisking with a whisk.
Season with salt and pepper and add the brandy and the lemon juice.
Assembling the dish
Choose a nice deep dish, and spread a base of sauce made at the beginning from the cheeks. Lay two ravioli on top and finally, drizzle over the Finca Martelo sauce.
Open a bottle of Finca Martelo, serve a glass to each guest… and enjoy!
Salud!