Pincho of the Week: Carrilleras de Cerdo

Last Friday was a bright and sunny day here in Logroño, so my friend C and I decided to break with tradition and go out for pinchos for lunch instead of dinner. After grabbing some of our go-to pinchos, we decided to try something new. We walked a away from Laurel to the end of the street next to my apartment in Plaza San Augustín and found a new bar called Taberna de Correos.

As soon as we entered, déjà-vu hit me smack in the face. This was one of the first pincho bars I ever went to in Logroño in September, before I even knew the good ones or even knew my way around the city. I had tried to find this place before but never could. They had tons of fun pinchos to chose from, but we decided to go with the pincho estrella (Star Pincho) called carrilleras de cerdo ibérico con reducción de Satinela (Iberian pork cheeks with in a white wine reduction). Satinela is a type of semi sweet white wine made by the Marqués de Cáceres bodega here in La Rioja.

Now pig cheeks (the face, not the other ones hehe) may not sound like your cup of tea. But trust me, they are delicious! Carrilleras are a popular dish here in La Rioja, and I have become a huge convert this year. It’s some of the most tender, softest meat you will ever eat, usually served up with potatoes in a stew or thick sauce of some kind. Literally melt in your mouth kind of good. Don’t knock it til you try it!

Have you ever eaten something that sounds unappetizing but ended up loving it? Ever tried carrilleras?