Pork Cheek Recipe - Braised Pork Cheek and Peas | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pork cheeks and jowls? ›

Jowl comes from the face of the pig and is sometimes referred to as “pork cheeks.” Some culinary professionals distinguish between the cheek and the jowl — asserting that the cheek proper lies higher up on the head near the eye socket and is more lean than the jowl, which hangs lower around the chin and jaw regions and ...

Guanciale (Italian: [ɡwanˈtʃaːle]) is an Italian salt-cured meat product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks. Its name is derived from guancia, 'cheek'.

Pork cheeks, as the name would suggest, are the little nuggets of flesh found in the cheek of the pig. Not to be confused with the jowl, which is the surrounding area of the face and is more fat (albeit tasty fat) than meat.

Oloroso with food

This is the most suitable wine to accompany red meat and game. It combines perfectly with meat stews and casseroles; especially gelatinous meat such as bull's tail or cheeks. The perfect match for wild mushrooms and well cured cheeses.

The cut is known for its rich marbling and tender texture when cooked. Hogs don't use their jowl muscle much. Consequently, less stress is placed on this cut of meat, lending a silkier texture and sweeter flavor than traditional back bacon.

As with all parts of the Iberico pig, the pork cheeks are a succulent delicacy that melts in your mouth and has a delicate nutty flavor due to the high amounts of soft fat. They do best with slow cooking, such as by being braised, or in a stew.

Guanciale is not well known in America, since the FDA banned all imports of the meat from Europe. However, local farmers will sell guanciale as a specialty. Guanciale pork meat comes from the jowl of the pig, making it incredibly fatty and great to cook with.

If pork cheeks aren't available, pork shoulder (cut into 2-inch pieces) can be substituted.

Also called pork jowl or pork cheek, this cut of meat resembles bacon in that it's fatty, often gets served thinly sliced, and a little bit goes a long way. Find it on charcuterie boards, wrapped around vegetables, chopped up and tossed with pasta, and served in sandwiches.

Pork Cheeks are a small piece of meat & therefore more expensive to produce than simple heavy Pork Cuts. There only 2 pieces per Pig at 80g each, they need expert butchers to cut them with low yields as such a small piece.

What is the most expensive cut of pork? ›

What is the most expensive cut of pork? It's usually the pork tenderloin (also called pork tender or fillet). A lot of the other loin cuts tend to err on the more expensive side since it has some high-quality meat to offer.

Pig's cheeks are great value cuts of meat best cooked by braising or slow cooking. The resulting meaty goodness is definitely worth the wait! Cook on a low heat for a few hours and serve with mustard mash and a rich gravy.

I personally enjoy Northern Rhône and Italian reds with pork: something like a decent Crozes-Hermitage or a Chianti Classico (particularly with the latter dish) though I know many pork fans prefer a Pinot Noir.

Light reds like Beaujolais and Pinot Noirs would be a good match for leaner cuts like chops or tenderloins, maybe even a Chardonnay with a creamy or buttery sauce. Rosés are also extremely versatile with pork, their light body and crispness will pair with many preparations.

Pinot Noir is the go-to in this category, delivering light, fresh flavors with relatively low tannins. Even better than Pinot Noir, if you can find it is Gamay, the grape that also hails from Burgundy and is more often found under the name of the region it calls home, Beaujolais.

From what I understand the difference between the two cuts are that the cheek comes from higher up on the head, near the eye socket. It's leaner than the jowl and good for braising. Jowl comes from the lower jaw/chin area (?), is fattier, and makes great bacon.

Pork jowl is a cut of pork from a pig's cheek. Different food traditions have used it as a fresh cut or as a cured pork product (with smoke and/or curing salt). As a cured and smoked meat in America it is called jowl bacon or, especially in the Southern United States, hog jowl, joe bacon or joe meat.

Jowl bacon is the fattiest of the bacons and has a rich, almost smoky/sweet flavor different than traditional (from the pork belly). While they can be enjoyed cooked up as is like the other bacons, I personally love using jowl bacon as I would bacon ends, and cook with it.

You can substitute 5 pounds of pork shoulder for the pork cheeks. Cut the shoulder into 2-inch chunks and proceed with the recipe. Add 30 minutes to the cooking time in Step 4.