50+ Pork Jowl Recipes (2024)

Pork Jowl is a surprisingly inexpensive cut of meat, pork cheeks lend rich flavor to many dishes given their superb taste and high fat content.

Pork jowls are a cut of meat that come from the cheek and surrounding area of the pig’s face. These cuts tend to be more fat than meat, unlike the similarly named pork cheek which usually refers to the little masses of flesh in the cheek of the pig. While pork cheeks are small, meaty portions marbled with fat, pork jowls are a fattier lump of meat that often comes uncut on the rind.

Pork jowls are quite similar to bacon, yet with a silkier texture. Often referred to as hog jowls in the Southern states, pig jowls are used in a variety of Southern dishes from collard greens to black-eyed peas.

In fact, pig jowls are a common ingredient in New Year’s Day banquets in the South as they are believed to symbolize health and wealth in the coming year. Pigs hold this symbolism for a number of reasons – the fatty meat of the pig ensures survival throughout cold winter months, the rich flavor denotes luxury, and because pigs cannot turn their heads around (without turning their entire body as well), they are considered a symbol of progress and looking forward to the future.

Where to Buy Pork Jowl

Pork jowl may be found at the pork end of the meat case wrapped in plastic wrap, but you can ask your butcher if you don’t see them. You can also order them online from a variety of suppliers with superior options for pasture-raised and antibiotic-free livestock.

Pork jowl is generally considered a tough cut, yet is known for its tenderness and rich marbling when cooked. Unlike the cheek, which is meatier and leaner, hogs don’t use the surrounding meat of the jowl all that much. As a result, this meat is more velvety in texture than other cuts like traditional back bacon.

Being attached to a rind of skin, pork jowl has a high meat-to-fat ratio. This rind can be removed so the hog jowl can be sliced like bacon or the entire cut can be used in soups, stews and other side dishes.

At this point, the only place where you can dependably buy pork jowl is from an online butcher shop called porter road. They have high quality pastured pork, and their pork jowl is exceptional.

Pork Jowl Recipes

All parts of the pig can be used in some way or another – pig bones are great for making pork stock, pig hearts can be grilled or sauteed and even pig feet can be cooked, whether braised or preserved as confit. But what about those pork jowls?

Pork jowl can be smoked, cured or cooked. Be they braised, made into bacon or burnt ends, pork jowls are recommended to be cooked low and slow to let their extra fat render. Due to their richness, pork jowls are best used in moderation adding flavors to other dishes. You can cure pork jowls as bacon or guanciale to impart flavor to meals, or simply braise them to add to vegetable-heavy dishes.

These underused cheeky bits will lend superb flavor to legumes and other vegetables like brussels sprouts and collard greens. Allow pork jowls to provide flavor to soups and stews, casseroles or pasta for more opportunities to enjoy this underused meat.

Pork Jowl Salad and Tart Recipes

Feature tasty pork jowl in a collection of salads and tarts. Grill pork jowls and toss them with fresh herbs, toasted rice powder and a spicy fish sauce for moo nam tok, a classic Thai salad, subbing pork jowl for pork neck. Impress guests and friends with a tender pork jowl and fennel salad paired with burnt orange purée. Additionally, if you decide to make guanciale from pork jowl, it can also top a variety of starters, such as a raw kale salad or one of fregola, peas, zucchini and mozzarella.

While trimmed pork cheeks can be used in tarts and pies, pork jowl is best wielded in smaller doses due to its rich flavor. If made into guanciale, pork jowl can be added to savory tarts like an apple, arugula and guanciale phyllo tart or one with broccoli and camembert. Guanciale can even be implemented in savory breads, like focaccia.

Pork Jowl Breakfast Recipes

For breakfast recipes, pork jowl will be most often utilized in the form of jowl bacon. You can smoke and cure jowl bacon or make a quick air fryer version in which pork jowl strips are seasoned with brown sugar and peppers. You may also braise pork jowl, then slice and broil it to make it brown and crispy.

Serve crispy pork jowls and jowl bacon with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes or biscuits and gravy. Toss crumbled pieces into omelets and breakfast bakes, or try jowl bacon on your next eggs benedict.

While pork cheeks can be added to omelets like this omelet with onions, pork cheek and tomato, pork jowl is best employed in the form of guanciale. Like pancetta, guanciale is a preserved form of pork, however, guanciale is richer due to its higher fat ratio. Add guanciale to soft-scrambled eggs, frittatas or quiches for savory eggy fare.

Pork Jowl Savory Main Courses

When foraging for rich and flavorful dinner dishes, consider braising pork jowls. Try braising pork jowls in red wine and serving with spinach, mashed potatoes or topping with Amatriciana sauce made from pancetta, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. For more ideas, consider sweet and spicy pork jowls, grilled pork jowls with the flavors of lemongrass, a spicy Korean-style pork jowl stir fry or authentic Thai pork jowls.

Another pork jowl main course sure to excite is whiskey-smoked barbecue pork jowl. Produced via a 3-day sous vide method, this extensive recipe is worth the wait. More options include sous vide pork jowl with champagne poached pear sauce or white wine-braised pork jowl in a casserole with breadcrumbs, cheese and horseradish.

Pork Jowl Stew and Soup Recipes

Feature the flavors of pork jowl in an assortment of soups and stews to accentuate its rich and savory flavor. A Southern classic, be sure to try pork jowl stew with black-eyed peas and finish with classic Southern cornbread to complete the dish. Pork jowl stew with red wine is another spectacular option. Enhanced with sweet marjoram, fresh thyme, button mushrooms and fresh carrots, this savory stew is sure to satisfy.

Add some pork jowl to stews like beef and porcini stew to enrich the flavor or perhaps sub for pork belly for an extra rich split pea soup. Pork jowl may also be added to Japanese-style soups like tonjiru, a Japanese pork soup packed with vegetables, or thinly sliced to top pork ramen.

Pork Jowl Snack Recipes

For smaller bites, sample crispy pork jowl complemented with the flavors of maple syrup, brown sugar, paprika and cayenne. Add this sweet and spicy soul food treat to sandwiches for snacks or make it a meal by pairing with wilted greens and fried beans. Try crispy pork jowl settled between buns with sliced cucumbers and pickled carrots for another fantastic nibble.

Barbecued pork jowl can be seated in lovely lettuce wraps for snacking or added to beans for some flavorful frijoles for filling burritos or serving alongside rice. Like candied pork belly, candied pork jowl is loaded with crispy flavor – use candied pork jowl to top tacos and salads or snack on them like, well, candy. And if you have any leftover guanciale lying around, consider trying tiny artichoke and guanciale tarts. They’re as delectable as they are pleasing to see, rendering them a popular appetizer for parties and gatherings.

Pork Jowl Side Dishes

When seeking out mouthwatering side dishes to accompany dinner spreads, call on pork jowl to bestow its rich flavor to greens and beans. Caramelized brussels sprouts with pork jowl are a delicious dish as are smoked pork jowl-seasoned collard greens. Use guanciale in an appetizing green bean side dish with tomatoes, shallots and garlic or consider using this rich meat to flavor a variety of additional plates.

Be they black-eyed peas, pinto beans, lima beans or white beans, both pork jowl and guanciale can impart rich flavors to these legumes. Guanciale can also flavor risotto, polenta and root vegetables like potatoes. For one last delightful idea, consider subbing guanciale for pancetta in mac and cheese dishes like a creamy pasta carbonara souffle.

Veggies, Greens and Legumes

Starches

Cured Pork Jowl Recipes

There are two ways to cure decadent pork jowl: bacon and guanciale. Bacon and guanciale are essentially the same thing. What’s known as guanciale in Italy is generally referred to as jowl bacon in the South. Both are silky, fatty and wonderful when incorporated into several dishes. For example, use guanciale to flavor pasta alla gricia or top seafood dishes like clams for sensational plates.

Guanciale is a cured meat similar to pancetta, only richer and more flavorful. The curing process renders the tougher parts of the pork jowl tender, while still accentuating the succulent richness of the cut. Pig jowl is cured in a mix of salt, sugar, spices and instacure for around a week until stiff. The curing mix is then washed off and the jowl hung to dry for 3 weeks or so.

The recipes may vary from one another slightly, some are simple with just instacure and salt, while others call for the addition of white wine and herbs.

Preserving Pork Jowl

Given the inexpensive nature and fine flavor of pork jowls, the instinct to overbuy is completely understandable. The next step, however, will be preservation to ensure those delectable piggy bits don’t go to waste.

Nearly all parts of pork can be preserved in some way or another. Although you can preserve a whole pig without refrigeration, you can also work through the pig piece by piece. You can make pancetta with pork belly, confit with pig feet and guanciale with pork jowls. Guanciale will begin to lose taste after 6 months of storage. For storing longer, it can be frozen, keeping at best quality for 12 to 18 months.

In addition to curing pork jowl in the form of guanciale, you can also freeze pork jowl to extend its shelf life. Pork jowls are considered a type of offal, and frozen variety meats such as these are best used within 3 to 4 months, as outlined by the USDA. After this time they can lose quality or dry out.

Additionally, soups, stews and casseroles including pig jowls are best frozen for 2 to 3 months before losing flavor and freshness.

You can store seasoned pork jowl in the refrigerator for up to 3 days when properly wrapped and sealed in an airtight container. For longer storage, you can freeze pork jowl, seasoning it with herbs and spices like rosemary, paprika, kosher salt and black pepper. Freeze pork jowl in an airtight container or vacuum-seal and store for up to 3 months. Defrost by moving to the refrigerator and thawing overnight before cooking.

Guanciale (and Bacon) Cured the Ole’ Fashioned Way
How To Store Guanciale (with Freezing and Thawing Tips)
Everything You Need to Know about Guanciale (Including Tips for Storage and Freezing)
Pork Jowl Recipes and Freezing Tips
Freezing Cooked Pork

Recipe Ideas

Looking for more recipe ideas?

70+ Persimmon Recipes
50+ Black Walnut Recipes
50+ Beef Belly Recipes
50+ Goose Recipes