Grant Crilly is the Executive Director and cofounder of ChefSteps. Grant is a classically trained chef and, prior to ChefSteps, he worked on the award-winning cookbook series Modernist Cuisine and cooked at various restaurants, including L’Astrance in Paris, Busaba in Mumbai, and Mistral Kitchen in Seattle.

Grant Crilly

In an era of pork-belly pizza and bacon-brittle ice cream, lesser known parts of the pig often go unsung. We butchered a whole hog and asked you, our readers, to vote on which cut you’d like to see us prepare. We’re pleased to announce pork jowl as the people’s choice.Pork jowl--or cheek--is deeply rooted in the South, where it is often salted and cured for the winter. We’ve taken the jowl in a different direction by cooking it sous vide for 72 hours. Tough, abundant collagen is transformed into melty, tender gelatin, and the natural flavor of the jowl is released. In a nod to its wintry tradition, we&#39;ve served the braised pork atop bright pickled green apples and an earthy celery root puree.

Pork Cheek, Celery Root, and Pickled Apple