CarneAtlas
Pork cheek

Pork cheek substitutes

What to use when you can't find Pork cheek at your butcher

Pork cheek is the traditional name in United Kingdom. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable pork cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.

What to ask for
Jump straight to your country.

Italy

Guancialeclose substitute

Same anatomical cut — guanciale is the cured form of fresh pork cheek/jowl.

Mexico

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.

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