Pork jowls are usually found as thick, fatty cuts that resembles bacon and are typically used to make guanciale. When the fat is trimmed away to reveal the indecently striated flesh, the thin oblong cuts are known as jowl steaks.
These jowl steaks are from a Berkshire pig, an heirloom breed that originated in England and is now bred in the US and Japan, where it is known as Kurobuta. Berkshire is prized for its rich nutty flavor and high fat content that makes it inordinately succulent.
The marbled fat in this cut is not the kind that melts away easily; moderate cooking will turn it to rubber. Jowl steaks are best cooked at extremes— fast and hot, or slow and low. I'm glad I have two of them.
Playing with Fire and Water 