Braised beef cheek—it is a classic Northern Italian dish that just brings comfort to the table. I mean, really, it’s from Lombardy and this beef cheek recipe stands out because of its tender texture.

Pork cheek, says Marianne Sundquist, is “one of the cuts of meat that is really underused.” Which is too bad, because “it’s really inexpensive, and I think something magical happens when it’s braised.