File:British Pork Cuts.svg, 400px,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...

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Loin The loins, or lumbus, are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. The term is used to describe the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, or cattle. The anatomical reference also applies to p ...

poly 361 201 371 181 394 177 373 201

Hock Hock may refer to: Common meanings: * Hock (wine), a type of wine * Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg * To leave an item with a pawnbroker People: * Hock (surname) * Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer Other uses: * A t ...

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poly 387 172 372 156 371 149 387 137 407 85 368 61 370 43 328 27 315 38 302 137 343 172 Leg / Ham desc none American Pork Cuts

The cuts of pork are the different parts of the

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

which are consumed as food by humans. The terminology and extent of each cut varies from country to country. There are between four and six

primal cut A primal cut or cut of meat is a piece of meat initially separated from the carcass of an animal during butchering. Examples of primals include the round, loin, rib, and chuck for beef or the ham, loin, Boston butt, and picnic for pork. Different ...

s, which are the large parts in which the pig is first cut: the shoulder (blade and picnic), loin, belly (spare ribs and side) and leg.Cattleman's Beef Board & National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards
. Retrieved 11 July 2007. These are often sold wholesale, as are other parts of the pig with less meat, such as the head, feet and tail. Retail cuts are the specific cuts which are used to obtain different kinds of meat, such as tenderloin and

ham Ham is pork from a leg cut of pork, cut that has been food preservation, preserved by wet or dry Curing (food preservation), curing, with or without smoking (cooking), smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. Lo ...

. There at least 25 Iberian pork cuts, including

jamón ''Jamón'' (, pl. ''jamones'') is a kind of dry-cured ham produced in Spain. It is one of the most globally recognized food items of Spanish cuisine. It is also regularly a component of tapas. Most ''jamón'' is commonly called ''jamón serrano ...

Cuts

Head

The head of the pig can be used to make brawn, stocks, and soups. After boiling, the ears can be fried or baked and eaten separately. The cheeks can be cured and smoked to make

jowls The cheeks ( la, buccae) constitute the area of the face below the human eye, eyes and between the Human nose, nose and the left or right ear. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The a ...

, known as ''carrillada'' or ''carrileja'' in Spanish-speaking countries. The face of Iberian pigs is known as ''pestorejo'' or ''careta'', and it includes the ears and snout (''morro''). The lower parts of the head are the neck (''papada'') and the

amygdalae The amygdala (; plural: amygdalae or amygdalas; also '; Latin from Greek, , ', 'almond', 'tonsil') is one of two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain's cerebrum in complex verteb ...

(''castañetas''). The tongue, which weighs around 250 grams, is also eaten.

Blade shoulder

Above the front limbs and behind the head is the shoulder blade. It can be boned out and rolled up as a roasting joint, or cured as "collar bacon". Also known as spare rib roast and joint, it is not to be confused with the rack of spare ribs from the front belly. Pork butt, despite its name, is from the upper part of the shoulder. The

Boston butt A Boston butt is the slightly wedged shaped portion of the pork shoulder above the standard picnic cut which includes the blade bone and the "lean butt" (which is boneless), both extensions of the tenderloin cut and can be used in place of the te ...

, or Boston-style shoulder cut, comes from this area and may contain the shoulder blade. Mexican ''

carnitas Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas are made by braising or simmering pork in oil or preferably lard until tender. The process takes three to four hours, a ...

'' and Iberian ''aguja'' are also sourced from this part. Between the ''aguja'' and the ''lomo'' (loin) is the ''presa'', which is considered the finest cut of Iberian pork. Two well-marbled 600 g cuts of ''presa'' are obtained from each Iberian pig. Two smaller 100 g cuts known as ''pluma'' are obtained from beneath the ''presa''. The Italian ''

coppa The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) is a United States federal law, located at (). The act, effective April 21, 2000, applies to the online collection of personal information by persons or entities under Federal ju ...

'' is obtained from the top of the shoulder.

Shoulder arm picnic

The arm shoulder can be cured on the bone to make a ham-like product or be used in sausages. The hands (or ''paletas'' in Ibérico pigs) refer to the front legs, as opposed to the hind legs, which are hams or ''jamones''. Between the ''paleta'' and the belly is a 150-200 g cut known as ''secreto'' which is very popular in Spain.

Loin

The

loin The loins, or lumbus, are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. The term is used to describe the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, or cattle. The anatomical reference also applies to p ...

can be cured to make

back bacon Back bacon is a cut of bacon that includes the pork loin from the back of the pig. It may also include a portion of the pork belly in the same cut. It is much leaner than side bacon made only from the pork belly. Back bacon is derived from the ...

or Canadian-style bacon. The loin and belly can be cured together to make a side of bacon. The loin can also be divided up into roasts (blade loin roasts, centre loin roasts, and sirloin roasts come from the front, centre, or rear of the loin), back ribs (also called baby back ribs, or riblets), pork cutlets, and

pork chop A pork chop, like other meat chops, is a loin cut taken perpendicular to the spine of the pig and is usually a rib or part of a vertebra. Pork chops are unprocessed and leaner than other cuts. Chops are commonly served as an individual portio ...

s (''chuletas''). A pork loin crown roast is arranged into a circle, either boneless or with rib bones protruding upward as points in a crown.

Pork tenderloin Pork tenderloin, also called pork fillet, pork steak or Gentleman's Cut, is a long, thin cut of pork. As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle along the central spine portion, ventral to the lumbar vertebrae, th ...

, removed from the loin, should be practically free of fat. It is known as ''lomo'' in Spain, where it is most often prepared as a ''

filete Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...

'' or cured as a ''caña de lomo''. This high-quality meat shows a very ordered arrangement of muscle cells that can cause light diffraction and

structural coloration Structural coloration in animals, and a few plants, is the production of colour by microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light instead of pigments, although some structural coloration occurs in combination wit ...

Fatback

The

subcutaneous fat The subcutaneous tissue (), also called the hypodermis, hypoderm (), subcutis, superficial fascia, is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. The types of cells found in the layer are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and mac ...

and skin on the back (

fatback Fatback (also known as streak of lean or streak of fat) is a cut of meat from a domestic pig. It consists of the layer of adipose tissue (subcutaneous fat) under the skin of the back, with or without the skin (pork rind). Fatback is "hard fat ...

) are used to make

pork rind Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways. It can be rendered, fried in fat, baked, or roasted to produce a kind of pork cracklings (US) or scratchings (UK); these are served in small pieces ...

s, a variety of cured "meats",

lardon A lardon, also spelled lardoon, is a small strip or cube of fatty bacon, or pork fat (usually subcutaneous fat), used in a wide variety of cuisines to flavor savory food and salads. In French cuisine, lardons are also used for larding, by thr ...

s, and

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the o ...

. British

pork scratching Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways. It can be rendered, fried in fat, baked, or roasted to produce a kind of pork cracklings (US) or scratchings (UK); these are served in small pieces ...

s and Hispanic '' chicharrones'' are also prepared from this cut.

Spare ribs

Spare ribs Spare ribs (also side ribs or spareribs) are a variety of ribs cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones an ...

are taken from the pig's

rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs ( la, costae) are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ches ...

s and the meat surrounding the bones. St. Louis–style spareribs have the sternum, cartilage and skirt meat removed. The term ''abanico'' is used to refer to the ribs of Iberian pigs. It is very fatty and commonly barbecued.

Belly or side

The belly, although a fattier meat, can be used for steaks or diced as stir-fry meat. Pork belly may be rolled for roasting or cut for

streaky bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato san ...

. It is the source of Italian ''

pancetta Pancetta () is a salt-cured pork belly meat product in a category known as salume. In Italy, it is often used to add depth to soups and pastas. (in Italian). Uses For cooking, it is often cut into cubes (''cubetti di pancetta''). In Italy, ...

'' and Spanish ''panceta''.

Legs or hams

Although any cut of pork can be cured, technically speaking only the back leg is entitled to be called a ham. Legs and shoulders, when used fresh, are usually cut bone-in for

roasting Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization ...

, or leg steaks can be cut from the bone. Three common cuts of the leg include the rump (upper portion), centre, and shank (lower portion). The ham of Iberian pigs is known as ''

''.

Ham hock

The joint between the feet and the leg, known as

ham hock __NOTOC__ A ham hock (or hough) or pork knuckle is the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor ...

or pork knuckles, is cooked in many European countries, including Austria (''stelze''), Czech Republic (''koleno''), Germany (''

eisbein Eisbein (literally: 'ice leg') is a German culinary dish of corned ham hock, usually cured and slightly boiled. Despite the name, no ice is actually used in its preparation. The word probably comes from High German via the Latin term used in m ...

'' and ''

schweinshaxe ''Schweinshaxe'' (), in German cuisine, is a roasted ham hock (or “pork knuckle”). The ham hock is the end of the pig's leg, just above the ankle and below the meaty ham portion. It is especially popular in Bavaria as ''Schweinshaxn'' �ʃ ...

''), Hungary (''csülök''), Poland (''golonka''), Spain (''codillo''), Sweden ('' Ffläsklägg'') and Switzerland (wädli).

Trotters

Both the front and hind trotters can be cooked and eaten. They are colloquially known as "pigs feet" in the Southern United States and as ''manitas de cerdo'' in Spanish-speaking regions.

Chitterlings

The intestines (

chitterlings Chitterlings (), sometimes spelled chitlins or chittlins, are the small intestines of domestic animals. They are usually made from pigs' intestines. They may also be filled with a forcemeat to make sausage.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st editi ...

) and other internal organs (

offal Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes muscle. Offal may also refe ...

) are often boiled or

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

ed. The

testicles A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...

(''criadillas'') are also eaten.

Tail

The tail has very little meat as it is mostly composed of connective tissue. It can be roasted or fried, which makes the skin crisp and the bone soft. It has a strong flavour. Leonese ''

botillo Botillo (), Butiellu () or Botelo (, ; also known as in Portuguese) is a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine. It is a culinary specialty of El Bierzo, a county in the Spanish province of León and also of the region of Trás-os-Montes, in Port ...

'' is made of chopped tail, ribs and bones, which are seasoned, stuffed in the

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix (anatomy), appendix, to which i ...

and smoked.

References

{{reflist Cuts of meat Cuts of pork Pork