CRISPY PIG’S EARS WITH TXIMITXURRI SAUCE

The word ‘ears’ in a recipe may not sound immediately appealing, but people are always (pleasantly!) surprised when they eat them for the first time: they are so soft and delicious – and simple and cheap. I normally use suckling pig’s ears for this recipe, as they’re smaller and more gelatinous. They can be difficult to get hold of, though, so if you can’t find them just ask your butcher for the smallest possible pig’s ears.

Tximitxurri is an Argentinian sauce, also known as chimichurri.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Clean the ears very well, inside and out. Blowtorch the hair or burn it off over a gas flame. Wash thoroughly.

To cook the ears, put them into a roasting tray with the vegetables and herbs and enough water to cover them. Cover with foil and cook in the oven until very soft: the more tender the ears become, the more gelatinous they will be. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the ears – but it will be around 40 minutes. To check whether they are done, remove the foil and poke them gently with a toothpick. Remove the ears from the tray, discarding the vegetables and liquid, and leave to cool.

While the ears are cooking, prepare the sauce: mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

When the ears are still warm, pour some olive oil into a pan and put on a medium heat. When it is hot, add the ears and season. Fry until golden brown – you want the skin to be as crispy as possible.

Eat the ears when they are still hot. Keep whole if small, or slice into three or four pieces if larger, and drizzle over the sauce. Sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley, and serve.