Those of you who are older remember Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies talking about greens and jowls. It was not uncommon in the old south to use jowls to season a pot of greens or beans.
In Italy it is the most prized cut of meat the unsmoked version is called Guanciale and is prized in dishes like Spaghetti Carbonara.
In my opinion Jowciale is more prized.
It really is the ultimate Dude Food.
Just a little bit (with all the fat) can season an entire dish.
4 ounces of thinly sliced Pig Jowl
1 lb of fresh shelled peas
1 lb of pasta
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
Black pepper
Pasta water
Brown your pig jowl in the pan and remove, leaving all the good fat behind.
Saute garlic in leftover oil plus added olive oil, just til fragrant, not brown.
Shell the peas in to a colander and cook the pasta in boiling salted water, when pasta is almost done take out a cup of pasta water. Drain pasta over peas, that is all that is needed to cook them.
Turn pan on high and add pasta and peas to fat, stir back in the jowl and grind with black pepper, taste for salt, add water of liquid is needed, turn off pan and serve.
This is the simplest of summer pasta dishes, loaded with flavor.
Who knew Granny's pig jowls would some day be a highly prized item?
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