Pork jowl bacon is a cut taken from the pig’s cheek. Its layers of meat and fat are similar to belly bacon, but are slightly less uniform. Jowl bacon is a staple of Southern black cuisine. Traditionally, pork jowl or fatback is eaten with black-eyed peas and greens on New Year's Day, in order to bring prosperity in the new year. In Italian cuisine, cured pork jowl is known as Guanciale. Pan fry pork jowl bacon on its own as breakfast side, or use it to flavor pastas, stews, and more!
Our pigs are raised on pasture all summer, without hormones or antibiotics. We buy in a small herd of piglets each May that is made up of a mix of heritage breeds, including Tamworth and Old Spot. We feed our pigs non-GMO grain, but being raised outside means they also forage for tubers, roots, berries, grubs, and more. From May to November, we rotate the pigs into new paddocks, allowing them to explore and express their natural rooting behaviors, while also fertilizing those areas with manure.