Pork is arguably the most versatile animal in the kitchen - it produces everything from quick-cooking chops to long-braised shoulders to cured and smoked products that keep for months. Here is a guide to the major cuts and how to get the most out of each one.
Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt and Picnic)
The shoulder section is divided into the Boston butt (upper shoulder) and the picnic (lower shoulder). Both are heavily worked muscles with a lot of connective tissue and intramuscular fat. They are the best cuts on the animal for low and slow cooking.
Boston butt (pork shoulder): The gold standard for pulled pork. Smoke at 225-250F for 10-14 hours until it pulls apart at 195-205F internal temperature. Also excellent braised with onions, garlic, and stock for 4-5 hours.
Picnic shoulder: Similar to the butt but includes the skin. Less commonly available at grocery stores; ask your butcher.
Pork Loin and Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin: The most tender cut on the animal. Very lean. Cooks fast - do not overcook. Sear in a hot pan until 140-145F internal, rest 5 minutes, slice.
Pork loin roast: A large, lean roast from the back. Excellent for special occasion roasting with a crust of herbs and garlic. Benefits from brining before cooking.
Pork loin chops: Lean, quick-cooking chops. Best pan-seared and basted with butter, or grilled briefly to medium (145F). Very easy to overcook - watch the temperature carefully.
Ribeye pork chops (rib chops): The best pork chop cut. Has a rib bone attached and a small cap of fat that bastes the chop during cooking. Excellent thick-cut (1.5 inches+) on the grill or in a cast iron.
Pork Belly
Uncured, unsmoked pork belly is the base for homemade bacon and is outstanding in its own right. Braise it low and slow until tender (3-4 hours at 300F) then chill and slice for pan-frying. Roast it skin-side up at very high heat for crackling. Or cure and smoke it into your own bacon.
Ham (Fresh and Cured)
Fresh ham: A whole hind leg, uncured. Can be roasted like a large leg of lamb - herb-crusted, slow-roasted, scored, and glazed. Impressive for large gatherings.
Cured and smoked ham: What most people know as ham. City ham is wet-cured (brined). Country ham is dry-cured and intensely salty - a very different product.
Ribs
Baby back ribs: Smaller, leaner ribs from the loin area. Quicker to cook (4-5 hours at 225F).
Spare ribs: Larger, fattier ribs from the belly area. More flavorful due to fat content. Traditional for St. Louis BBQ - trimmed to a uniform rectangular rack.
Where to Find the Best Pork
A local butcher shop will have cuts you cannot find at a grocery store - whole pork bellies, skin-on picnic shoulders, and bone-in loin roasts. Ask what is available and what they can cut to order.