At a glance
Rub a pork jowl with a measured cure of salt, sugar and curing salt No. 1, and leave it in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. Rinse it, dry it overnight, then smoke it at 200°F to 225°F until it reaches 150°F inside. Chill it, slice it thinly and fry it like bacon.
Pork jowl, from the cheek and neck of the pig, makes some of the richest bacon you will ever taste. In the American South, smoked jowl is a New Year's tradition alongside collard greens and black eyed peas, and in Italy the same cut becomes guanciale. Curing and smoking it at home is simpler than you might think and costs far less than buying it.
Why jowl bacon?
Jowl has a higher ratio of fat to meat than belly, and the fat is firm and sweet. Sliced and fried, it renders into crisp, intensely porky bites. It is also excellent diced into beans, greens and pasta sauces.
The cure
This is an equilibrium dry cure: the amounts of salt and curing salt are scaled to the weight of the meat, so it cannot become too salty no matter how long it sits. Curing salt No. 1 contains sodium nitrite, which protects the meat during curing and smoking and gives bacon its pink color. Always weigh it. The method is the same one we use for buckboard bacon.
Smoking the jowl
Smoke it low, around 200°F to 225°F, so the fat does not render out before the meat reaches 150°F. Chill it fully before slicing, as cold jowl slices much more cleanly.
Recipe
Smoked Pork Jowl Bacon
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 20 min plus 7 to 10 days curing
- Makes
- About 1 1/2 to 2 lb (680 to 900 g) of bacon
- Cure in the fridge at 34°F to 40°F (1°C to 4°C)
- Smoker 200°F to 225°F (93°C to 107°C)
- Smoke to 150°F (66°C) internal
Ingredients
Pork
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) pork jowl, skin on or off, trimmed of glands
Cure, per 1 kg of meat
- 2.5 g (1/2 tsp) curing salt No. 1 (pink curing salt)
- 25 g (about 1 1/2 tbsp) kosher salt
- 15 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Zip top bag or vacuum bag
- Smoker
- Thermometer
- Sharp knife or slicer
Method
- Weigh the jowl and scale the cure to its exact weight. Trim off any glands or discolored bits.
- Mix the curing salt, salt, sugar and spices, and rub it evenly over every surface of the jowl.
- Seal the jowl and any loose cure in a zip top or vacuum bag and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days, turning it every day or two.
- Rinse the jowl well, pat it dry and leave it uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight to form a tacky surface.
- Heat the smoker to 200°F to 225°F (93°C to 107°C) with hickory, apple or cherry.
- Smoke the jowl until it reaches 150°F (66°C) inside, usually 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Cool, then chill it completely. Remove the skin if still attached, and slice thinly to fry like bacon.
Notes
- Always weigh the curing salt. Too much is unsafe and too little does not protect the meat.
- Smoked jowl bacon keeps for about a week in the fridge. Slice, portion and freeze the rest.
Cooking and storing jowl bacon
Fry slices over medium heat until crisp, or dice and render them for beans, greens and carbonara. Smoked jowl keeps for about a week in the fridge. For longer storage, slice it, vacuum seal it in portions and freeze it. Our guide on how long homemade bacon lasts applies here too.
Frequently asked questions
Is pork jowl the same as guanciale?
It is the same cut. Guanciale is cured with salt and spices and air dried, not smoked. Smoked jowl bacon is the American style.
Do I need curing salt for jowl bacon?
Yes, for this recipe. It protects the meat during the long cure and low temperature smoke.
How long should I cure pork jowl?
7 to 10 days in the fridge for a jowl about 1 1/2 inches thick.