Pork Jowl is the cheek cut off the face of a pig, hence it is also called Pork Cheek. It is rich with plentiful amounts of fat with a few layers of meat. It is expensive because each head only yields a small amount of pork cheek. I saw the butcher trimmed off the pork jowl on the spot. I bought the following pork cheek at a butcher at $8.80 per pound.
I marinated the pork jowl overnight with a lemon grass sauce which I bought from the butcher place too. The Lemon Grass Sauce is good with chicken or pork. I used it to marinate pork chop or boneless chicken leg which I pan fried them. Nanzaro loves the pan fry boneless chicken leg marinated in lemon grass sauce.
Since the pork jowl is very thin, it’s takes very little time to pan fry them in medium heat. You can use an indoor grill to grill them too.
Although the pork cheek is fatty, it has a springy texture. The lightly charred and caramelized part is the best.
I served the pork cheek with wonton noodles seasoned with loh mien sauce, some blanched bok choy and some home-made wontons. That’s why I called it char siu.
The wontons can be served with the noodles or on their own with some bok choy in soup.
Hi Suanne,
That looks really good. Can you email me the details of your butcher?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Anita, the butcher is located at Park Rd (at the strip mall where Great One Supermarket and Happy Date Restaurant is) and its name is Fresh Choice Meat. I like to get my stuff there because they will cut up the whole chicken or even chicken legs for me. They will also grind the meat of your choice for you.
looks delicious, Suanne!
Oooh, a pork jowl dish! We’ve all done one now, hehe. =) Oh, good tip re the butcher. We usually just get our meat from T&T, but the full service you get there at Fresh Choice sounds good. We’ll go check it out.
The pork jowl looks so scrumptious and pretty on every plate! Nice amount of fat dispersed around everywhere. I have never heard of a lemongrass sauce with the exception of Lee Kum Lee which I had a long time ago. Don’t see it around much in my area!
I know this is such an old post but i am looking to replicate the pork jowl from santouka ramen shop. Did your dish taste similar?