WHAT IS PORK JOWL BACON

What is Pork Jowl?

Pork jowl is a fatty, meaty cut that comes from the cheek section of a hog.

How Do You Cook Hog Jowl?

You will sometimes find hog jowl whole. You can cut it up and use it in soups and stews. You will also often find it sliced and smoked like bacon. In this form you can fry it in a skillet on your stovetop or bake it in the oven until crispy. In Italian dishes pork cheek is called guanciale. This is a cured meat that is used in pasta dishes or cut up and placed on charcuterie boards.

Is Jowl Bacon the Same as Regular Bacon?

While they taste very similar, jowl comes from the cheek area of the pig and regular bacon comes from the belly section of the pig. Jowl bacon will come in shorter slices than belly bacon and may be a bit fattier of a cut. Jowl bacon is sometimes referred to as the poor man's bacon because it costs less than regular bacon but tastes just as good!

I like to fry up jowl bacon with eggs for a protein packed breakfast. I also like to cut up the jowl bacon with a pair of scissors and throw it in with brussel sprouts. You can find pasture raised berkshire pork jowl bacon HERE!