Pork jowl is a delightfully fatty cut, best enjoyed in small quantities. Start by braising it to soften any connective tissue, then brown it to crispy perfection. I like to serve it sliced over mashed cauliflower. The leftovers are delicious, and you can enjoy them reheated or even cold.
If you like rich, fatty cuts of meat, you will love pork jowl. Once braised and browned, it's a wonderfully melt-in-your-mouth treat. Just remember that its richness and fattiness mean that it should be enjoyed sparingly. Serve about two strips per person - it's more than enough!
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Pork Jowl: The jowl can be found below the cheek, right behind the jaw. This ultra-fatty cut is great for making homemade cured bacon. It’s even fattier than pork belly! But if you want a simpler and faster way to cook it than curing, I recommend braising it to soften the connective tissues, then broiling or baking it to brown and crisp up the fat. Make sure to use fresh jowl in this recipe, not smoked or cured.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried thyme.
- For the braising liquid: Chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and hot pepper sauce.
Variations
You can vary this recipe by using different cooking methods. If the jowl you get is mostly fat, you can skip the braising, slice it, season it, and bake it on a rimmed baking sheet until browned on both sides, as I do when I cook pork belly.
You can also pan-fry the slices on both sides until browned, although you will need to do so in several batches.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here's an overview of the steps needed to make this recipe:
Preheat your oven to 300°F. Place the jowl in a rimmed baking dish and season it with salt and pepper. In a jar or a bowl, combine the broth, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Pour this braising liquid into the pan.
Cover the pan tightly with a double or even triple layer of aluminum foil. It must be completely sealed with no gaps. Bake the jowl until very tender, for about 2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil.
Remove the foil (carefully - hot steam will escape). Transfer the jowl to a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice it into ½-inch-thick slices.
Arrange the slices in a single layer on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet 6 inches below the broiler for 2-3 minutes per side to brown and crisp up the fat. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Keep in mind that eating this pork cut is almost like eating pure fat, so you’ll want to serve very small portions of it. One jowl makes about six 2-ounce servings, and although the servings might seem small, they’re, in fact, very appropriate considering the richness of this cut.
- When broiling the slices, there will be some splattering in your oven. If this is an issue, you can opt for baking or pan-frying instead. You can bake the jowl slices in a 400°F oven until browned, for about 15-20 minutes per side, or pan-fry them over medium heat on both sides until browned.
Recipe FAQs
No. The jowl is in the chin area behind the animal's jaw. It's fattier than the cheeks. In fact, it's almost pure fat.
This cut is not easy to find in grocery stores or even at Whole Foods (unless you ask the butcher to special-order it for you). I usually order it online.
No. The belly literally comes from the belly area of the animal, while the jowl comes from the face. Both are fatty cuts, but the jowl is fattier - it's almost pure fat, so it should be well-browned and eaten in very small quantities.
Serving suggestions
- Serve the jowl slices on mashed cauliflower, as shown in the photos on this page.
- Cube the cooked jowl and add it to pan-fried or roasted vegetables such as roasted Brussels sprouts or sauteed green beans.
- Serve thin slices with eggs for breakfast instead of bacon.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power, placing a paper towel on top to prevent splatters.
I sometimes like to eat the leftovers cold, straight out of the fridge. They're creamy and flavorful when eaten this way.
More Pork Recipes
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Recipe Card
Crispy Pork Jowl
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pork jowl - 1.5 pounds; use fresh jowl - not smoked or cured
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - Plus more for broiling; use just ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the jowl in a rimmed baking dish large enough to fit it (I typically use an 11 X 8-inch baking dish). Season it with salt and pepper.
- In a jar or a bowl, add the broth, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Whisk or shake well to combine.
- Pour the sauce into the pan.
- Cover the pan tightly with a double or even triple layer of aluminum foil. It must be completely sealed with no gaps.
- Bake the jowl until very tender, for about 2 hours.
- Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Set an oven rack 6 inches below the flame (not directly below).
- Remove the foil (carefully - hot steam will escape). Transfer the jowl to a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice it into ½-inch-thick slices.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on a broiler-safe baking sheet. Sprinkle them with more salt. Place the baking sheet 6 inches below the broiler for around 2-3 minutes per side to brown and crisp up the fat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- I wasn't sure how to calculate the nutrition information, so I used the nutrition information for Smithfield® Pork Jowl Bacon. It's not 100% accurate, but it should give you a general idea.
- Keep in mind that eating this pork cut is almost like eating pure fat, so you’ll want to serve very small portions of it. One jowl makes about six 2-ounce servings, and although the servings might seem small, they’re very appropriate considering the richness of the dish.
- When broiling the jowl slices, there will be some splattering in your oven. If this is an issue, you can opt for baking or pan-frying instead. You can bake the jowl slices in a 400°F oven until browned, for about 15-20 minutes per side, or pan-fry them over medium heat on both sides until browned.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power, placing a paper towel on top to prevent splatters. I sometimes like to eat the leftovers cold, straight out of the fridge. They're so creamy and flavorful when eaten this way.
Nutrition per Serving
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Karen Okeefe says
OMG, melt in your mouth goodness with extraordinary flavor! I think you might be the only person who knows how to cook this correctly. Fantastic!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Karen!