pork jowl
The fatty cut of pork from the cheek, often cured and smoked (similar to bacon); used to add rich, smoky flavor to beans, greens, and other slow-cooked dishes.
Substitutions
- bacon
Tips & common mistakes
Being fattier than regular bacon, pork jowl renders down substantially as it cooks and yields less solid meat than its raw size suggests -- expect a smaller amount of crisped meat plus a good amount of rendered fat, which is worth saving and using rather than pouring out, since it carries most of the smoky flavor.
Storage
Like bacon, cured pork jowl keeps longer unopened in the refrigerator than fresh raw pork, but once sliced or opened it should be used within about a week -- wrap it tightly, since the cut surfaces dry out and the fat can pick up other refrigerator odors if left uncovered.