Sous Vide Pork Cheek Tacos

These sous vide pork cheeks are a perfect filling for simple, street-style tacos. They’re full of flavor and tender as can be, thanks to 12 hours of cooking with the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker.

Author

Emily Farris and Jeff Akin

Emily Farris and Jeff Akin are the co-founders of Feed Me Creative, a former culinary creative agency in Kansas City, MO.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 12:00

Temperature : 180F / 82.2C

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless pork cheeks
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Corn tortillas, for serving
• Pickled red onion, for serving
• Fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 180°F (82°C).
2. Combine pork cheeks, chile powder, salt, brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 12 hours. Cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation. Add water intermittently to keep the pork submerged.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the pork from the bag and reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Using 2 forks, shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the reserved cooking liquid. Serve on tortillas, topped with pickled onions and cilantro.