Types of Pork
Image by Guide to Pork
____________________________________________________________
Pork cuts are provided with Pork Butt, Picnic Shoulder, Pork Loin, Ham, Pork Side, Spare Rib, Pork Jowl, and Pork Foot If you are confused about how to cook which types of pork, this guide will help you.
____________________________________________________________
1. Pork Butt (or Boston Butt)
The Pork Butt actually comes from the shoulder of the pig. It includes the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm of the pig.
As you might know, the Pork Butt is a moderately tough cut of meat that is ideal for slow roasting, braising, or smoking.
____________________________________________________________
2. Picnic Shoulder
Also known as the pork shoulder, the Picnic Shoulder comes from right below the Pork Butt.
It is usually smoked or cured and is great for ground pork and sausages. You can roast it, but that’s not the best use for the Picnic Shoulder.
____________________________________________________________
3. Pork Loin
One of our personal favorite primal cuts, the Pork Loin is where we get the tenderloin, fatback, and baby back ribs. You can choose to roast the entire loin or you can cut it into pork chops or cutlets.
A lesser-known cut to come out of the Pork Loin is the fatback which can be added to ground pork or sausages or used to make lard or salt pork.
____________________________________________________________
4.Ham
The back leg of the pig is where we get the ham. When it is smoked and cured, this is where you get serrano ham and prosciutto. The entire fresh ham is typically roasted but can be cut into ham steaks as well.
____________________________________________________________
5.Pork Side
Moving to the bottom of the pig, you get the Pork Side. This is where you get pork belly, bacon, and pancetta. These cuts are prepared a variety of different ways from slow roasting to frying.
____________________________________________________________
6.Spare Rib
The Spare Rib is located between the Loin and the Pork Side. The Spare Ribs are usually grilled low and slow to ensure they are moist and tender. They can also be braised or cooked in a slow cooker.
____________________________________________________________
7.Pork Jowl
A lesser-known cut to the United States, the Pork Jowl is usually used for making sausages. Some restaurants have started to serve pork collar and pork cheeks which both come from the Pork Jowl.
____________________________________________________________
8.Pork Foot
Typically reserved for adding to stocks, soups, and stews, the Pork Foot contains a lot of collagen and is a good source of gelatin. Slow stewing or simmering breaks down the connective tissue and makes the meat tender.
Pork Foot can also be slow-smoked, cured, or pickled.
____________________________________________________________
Written by Nathapas Phonakorn
____________________________________________________________
References
Professional Char-Griller Grill & Smokers. (2019, March 28). Guide to Pork cuts.
Retrieved from https://www.chargriller.com/blogs/tips-and-care/guide-to-pork-cuts.
____________________________________________________________