Pork jowl bacon, sometimes called hog jowl is a unique and flavorful cut of meat from the hog’s cheek or jowl area. While less common than traditional pork belly bacon, jowl bacon is growing in popularity especially in Southern cooking.
What Exactly is Pork Jowl Bacon?
Pork jowl bacon is made from cured and smoked pork jowls or cheeks. It’s similar to regular bacon in that it contains streaks of meat and fat, but jowl bacon is fattier and usually comes with the skin or rind still attached The pork jowl itself is the fatty cheek area of the hog’s head.
Jowl bacon is sometimes referred to as pork jowl bacon or hog jowl to differentiate it from belly bacon. It can also go by the names of guanciale when used in Italian cooking or paleta when used in Mexican cuisine.
How Pork Jowl Bacon Is Produced
To make jowl bacon, the raw pork jowls are cured, most often with a dry rub of salt, spices, sugar, and sodium nitrite. They are then smoked over wood chips to infuse flavor and provide preservation. Jowl bacon is not cooked like regular bacon before being packaged and sold.
The smoking and curing process gives jowl bacon a deep, rich, smoky pork flavor. The fat has a luscious texture, while the meat takes on a pleasant chewiness.
Availability and Where to Buy Jowl Bacon
In the past, jowl bacon was considered a specialty or custom cut that you had to specifically request from your butcher. Today it is becoming more widely available, especially in the Southern U.S.
Look for jowl bacon in the pork/bacon section at higher-end grocery stores or butcher shops. Farmer’s markets are another good source. Jowl bacon can also be mail ordered from online meat purveyors.
Buying it around the holidays, especially New Year’s, is your best bet for finding jowl bacon. It is traditionally served on New Year’s Day in the South along with other “lucky” foods like black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread.
How Is Jowl Bacon Used in Cooking?
The high fat content and strong smoky flavor make jowl bacon ideal for seasoning. It adds richness, smoky aroma, and salty pork essence to dishes. Here are some of the most popular ways to cook with jowl bacon:
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Add to bean or pea dishes – Beans and peas take beautifully to the smokiness and fat of jowl bacon. Use it instead of ham hocks or regular bacon when making dishes like red beans and rice, Hoppin’ John, or pot of beans.
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Chop and render for seasoning greens – Collards, turnip greens, kale, and spinach all love being wilted in rendered jowl bacon drippings. Chop the jowl bacon and fry until crispy, then use the fat to cook your greens.
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Flavor savory corn dishes – The Southern favorite, bacon creamed corn, gets an upgrade when made with jowl bacon. Render it first before making the creamy corn sauce.
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Use in place of salt pork or fatback – Jowl bacon can provide the fatty richness and porkiness that salt pork or fatback brings to dishes like greens, field peas, green beans, soups, or stews.
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Make jowl bacon lardons – Cut into small cubes or lardons to add to salads, pizza, pasta, roasted vegetables, compound butters, etc. The uses are endless.
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Slice and cook like regular bacon – You can absolutely fry up thin slices of jowl bacon to enjoy with eggs, on sandwiches, or on burgers. It will be fattier than belly bacon.
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Replace guanciale or pancetta in recipes – Jowl bacon stands in perfectly for its Italian cured pork cousins like in pasta carbonara, bruschetta, or antipasto platters.
How To Cook Jowl Bacon
Cooking jowl bacon is similar to regular bacon but the process can vary a bit. Here are some tips:
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Remove skin first – Pork skin shrinks and curls when cooked. Removing it first makes slicing and cooking easier. Use a sharp knife to cut it off.
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Partially freeze – For easier slicing, place the jowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until very firm but not completely frozen. Use a sharp knife to cut very thin slices.
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Cook over medium-low heat – The high fat content means jowl bacon can burn quickly if cooked over high heat. Cook it slowly over medium-low, turning frequently.
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Cook to desired doneness – Some like it just warmed while others prefer it crispy. Cook to your desired level of doneness.
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Drain on paper towels – Be sure to drain the cooked jowl bacon on paper towels to soak up excess grease.
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Save the drippings – Jowl bacon renders a good amount of luscious drippings. Save them to use for cooking other dishes.
Why Cook With Jowl Bacon?
Beyond just being a traditional Southern food, jowl bacon has some excellent qualities that make it a great cooking ingredient:
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It’s very flavorful – when properly cured and smoked, it develops a deep, rich porkiness.
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It has a high fat ratio – the melting fat gives moisture, flavor, and richness to dishes.
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It provides smoky aroma – the smoke flavor permeates the meat and fat.
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It’s relatively inexpensive – jowl bacon costs noticeably less than belly bacon.
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It adds textural contrast – crispy bits and soft fat make dishes more appealing.
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It brings nostalgic appeal – using old-fashioned jowl bacon evokes cooking traditions.
So if you’re looking to add some old-fashioned Southern flair to your food, pork jowl bacon is an excellent way to bring smoky pork essence and luscious fat to your dishes!
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$13 1 lb / Ships Frozen 1 lb / Ships Frozen
If you love our standard Pork Bacon, you’ll be delighted by our Pork Jowl Bacon. The deep flavor of pasture-raised pork is balanced by salt and cherry wood smoke, and the fat and salt mix to make a crisp and almost spongy texture when cooked. This bacon comes from the pig’s cheeks and has all the things we love about bacon.
Hormone Free No Antibiotics Pasture-Raised
This bacon is made from the small cut of meat found in the animal’s cheeks. (Our cure does include some sodium nitrate. see our FAQs for more information. ).
We think that baking your bacon is the way to go. Baking needs less supervision, cooks the bacon evenly, and reduces the risk of getting splattered by bacon grease. We suggest baking it in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 20 minutes.