CarneAtlas

Pork cheek

Pork · Jowl
BraiseCure
Raw Pork cheek — Pork Jowl cut
Also called
🇺🇸Pork jowl🇲🇽Cachete de cerdo🇦🇷🇪🇸Carrillada de cerdo🇫🇷Joue de porc🇵🇹Bochecha de porco🇧🇷Bochecha suína🇮🇹Guancia di maiale🇩🇪Schweinebäckchen🇮🇹Guanciale

Pork jowl is the cheek of the pig, a fatty, well-marbled cut with a silky texture when cured or braised. When cured it becomes guanciale, the Italian cured meat essential to authentic carbonara and amatriciana. In the American South it is simmered with beans and greens. Braised fresh, it becomes extraordinarily tender with a rich, porky flavor.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇺🇸United StatesPork jowlIn the US South often sold smoked as 'hog jowl' and cooked with black-eyed peas
🇬🇧United KingdomPork cheekprimary
🇲🇽MexicoCachete de cerdo
🇦🇷ArgentinaCarrillada de cerdo
🇫🇷FranceJoue de porcA prized bistro cut in France, typically braised in wine
🇪🇸SpainCarrillada de cerdoCarrilladas de cerdo ibérico is a celebrated Spanish dish
🇵🇹PortugalBochecha de porco
🇧🇷BrazilBochecha suína
🇮🇹ItalyGuancia di maialeCured into 'guanciale' for carbonara and amatriciana.
🇩🇪GermanySchweinebäckchen

Similar cuts

Cabeza de cerdo
Cabeza de cerdoapproximate

Anatomical subset — the cheek (cachete / carrillada / guancia) is part of the head, butchered out separately and sold as the most-prized portion.

HeadBladeArm ShoulderLoinLegRibsBellyHock

Classic recipe

Braised Pork Cheeks with Cider and Sage3 hr

Pork cheeks are among the most gelatinous and flavourful muscles on the pig — often overlooked but adored by chefs. A lo…

View full recipe →

Shop

Books

Equipment

Affiliate links — CarneAtlas may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Sources

Discover one new cut every issue.

A regional cut, the dish that defines it, and a side-by-side comparison — straight to your inbox.

Free. Roughly monthly. No tracking pixels.