<P> Pork jowl (alternately called jowl bacon or, especially in the Southern United States, hog jowl) is cured and smoked cheeks of pork . Hog jowl is a staple of soul food, but is also used outside the United States; the non-smoked Italian variant is called guanciale . </P> <P> Jowl bacon can be fried and eaten as a main course, similar to streaky bacon, such as in a traditional full English breakfast . Often, it is used as a seasoning for beans, black - eyed peas or cooked with leafy green vegetables such as collard greens or turnip greens in a traditional Southeastern meal . </P>

What part of the pig does jowl come from