PORK CUTS
Shoulder
The part behind the head, at the top of the leg down to the front trotter, is called the shoulder. It is typically broken down to the pork shoulder, picnic shoulder, and pork butt. These cuts are quite large, and unlike the more tender parts of the pig, they are suitable for low-and-slow cooking, especially on the barbecue. Because of their structure, they are a very forgiving cut of pork and can handle low-and-slow cooking with virtually guaranteed deliciousness. Pork butt is the most common cut used for pulled pork, but the others can be used too. These cuts have a lot of fat on them, so if you are buying from your butcher, ask if you can keep the fat on them. You can trim the fat and use it for a million things in your kitchen, or leave it on the meat for extra flavor. Pork shoulder chops, sometimes sold as pork blade chops, are from the blade roast and are fattier and a bit tougher than other “chops.” They can still be grilled, broiled, or pan-fried to great effect, especially if marinated or tenderized beforehand, but they can also stand up to longer, slower cooking methods like braising, too.
Loin
The part behind the head, at the top of the leg down to the front trotter, is called the shoulder. It is typically broken down to the pork shoulder, picnic shoulder, and pork butt. These cuts are quite large, and unlike the more tender parts of the pig, they are suitable for low-and-slow cooking, especially on the barbecue. Because of their structure, they are a very forgiving cut of pork and can handle low-and-slow cooking with virtually guaranteed deliciousness. Pork butt is the most common cut used for pulled pork, but the others can be used too. These cuts have a lot of fat on them, so if you are buying from your butcher, ask if you can keep the fat on them. You can trim the fat and use it for a million things in your kitchen, or leave it on the meat for extra flavor. Pork shoulder chops, sometimes sold as pork blade chops, are from the blade roast and are fattier and a bit tougher than other “chops.” They can still be grilled, broiled, or pan-fried to great effect, especially if marinated or tenderized beforehand, but they can also stand up to longer, slower cooking methods like braising, too.
Pork Tenderloin
The pork tenderloin is a small lean and very tender cut of meat that runs under the pork loin. This is the filet mignon cut of pork. Being a smaller cut, it is often cooked whole and then cut into slices when it is served. Full pork tenderloin will usually serve 2 – 3 people at most. Due to the lean and tender nature of this cut, it is commonly cut into strips to make stir fry dishes or pounded flat to make schnitzels, or even stuffed and rolled.
Belly/Side
The underside or the belly of the animal gives us the fattiest and therefore most flavourful pork cuts, including pork belly, lard, and pancetta. It also gives us some of the best bacon found anywhere on the hog – side bacon and streaky bacon. Italian pancetta comes from here also and is an all-important ingredient in so many Italian dishes because of the wonderful flavor of the fat. After falling out of favor for a few years, lard is very much back in the kitchen. It is very useful as a shortening in pastries and can be rendered for use in just about anything because of its mild deliciousness.
Leg
The pork leg/ham comes from the rear or back leg of the animal. The leg can be cut short by leaving the chump (top sirloin) attached to the loin or can be cut long by leaving the chump attached to the leg. The leg is made up of a series of lean muscles that are relatively tender and can be used for most cooking recipes such as roasts, stir-fry, kebobs, diced pork, etc. This is the part of the animal that is most commonly used to produce cooked hams after the leg has been smoked/cured. The shin or hock is used for very slow cooking whether in the slow-cooker or roasted and the trotters, while often underappreciated, make a great addition to stocks and can be stewed as well.
