A Comprehensive Pork Cuts Guide for Home Cooks

Pork Belly

Pork belly is not, as you might think, the stomach. Rather, it is the flesh running underneath the pig's belly, surrounding the stomach. It's a long cut of meat with plenty of fat worked into it, making it ideal for curing into bacon or pancetta. It can also be cooked fresh and is often seen on menus as braised pork belly. At home, you can either cure or braise it.

Pork Loin Chops

Several different cuts fall under the name "pork chops," and all are great grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. Thicker-cut pork chops with the bone attached are the juiciest and most flavorful. In descending order of tenderness (and price), specific pork chop cuts include:

• Pork loin chops (a.k.a. pork loin end chops, loin pork chops, pork center loin chops). You can identify these by the T-shaped bone on one side of them.
• Pork rib chops (a.k.a. pork rib cut chops, rib pork chops, pork chop end cut)
• Pork sirloin chops
• Pork top loin chops (a.k.a. pork strip chops) are sometimes sold boneless and called pork loin fillets, which can be cooked just like a chop.

Pork Shoulder Chops

Pork shoulder chops, sometimes sold as pork blade chops, come from the blade roast. They are fattier and a bit tougher than other chops. However, with marinating or tenderizing, they grill, broil, or pan-fry beautifully. They also stand up well to longer, slower cooking methods like braising.

Pork Crown Roast

When the ribs on a rib roast are "Frenched" (trimmed of meat), the cut becomes a rack of pork. A pork crown roast is made by tying two racks into a circular crown, with space in the middle for stuffing.

Pork Cutlets

Shown here is a variety of boneless cuts known as boneless chops or cutlets. Pork cutlets are typically lean steaks similar to sirloin chops but are meatier and boneless. Sometimes medallions from a pork tenderloin are used for cutlets.

Crispy pork cutlets are classically pounded thinner, to make them even more tender, dredged in breadcrumbs, and pan-fried. They are delicious that way but can also be baked or quickly seared in a pan or on a grill to excellent effect.

Ham

Ham comes from the top of the pork leg (the bottom is the shank, which can sometimes be a hock). It may be sold fresh, boiled, smoked, or cured, as pictured. For example, prosciutto and jamón serrano are salt-and-air-cured hams.

Pork Loin

Cuts from the pork loin are among the leanest and most tender. It's important to avoid overcooking any cut of pork from the loin (they usually include the word "loin" in their name, such as tenderloin, loin chop, etc.). The three sections of the pork loin are:

• Blade end is nearest to the shoulder and tends to be fatty.
• Sirloin end is closer to the rump and tends to be bony.
• Center portion is, as you'd expect, in the middle and is the leanest, most tender, and also the most expensive section of pork.

When sold as whole "roasts," pork loins are usually tied up, as pictured. Here are some of our favorite recipes for succulent pork loin.

Pork Back Ribs

Pork back ribs are often called baby back ribs. They are meatier than spare ribs but not as meaty as country-style ribs.

Country-Style Pork Ribs

Country-style pork ribs, also known as loin ribs, are the meatiest and fattiest of all pork ribs. However, they aren't as easy to pick up and eat with your fingers as other rib types. They are available bone-in or, more commonly, boneless.

Pork Spare Ribs

Pork spare ribs are the least meaty of rib options, but they're popular for their tender-chewy texture. They can achieve this delightful texture with proper long, slow cooking, and they are also the least fatty among pork ribs.

Pork Roasts

Like pork chops, many cuts are sold as "pork roasts." What unifies them is that they all turn out well when baked in the oven.

• Pork Blade Roasts (also known as pork rib end roast, pork 7-rib roast, 5-rib roast, rib end pork loin) are fattier than other roasts but are less expensive and have great flavor. If the roast is bone-in, ask the butcher to crack the backbone between the ribs to make carving easier.
• Pork Tenderloins are popular for roasting because they are lean, moist, and flavorful.
• Pork Rib Roasts are referred to as pork center loin roasts or are even sold as "pork roast" when the ribs are removed. Although they are fattier than pork tenderloin, they are still fairly lean, offering juicy and flavorful results. For a juicy roast, cook it with the slab of fat that comes on it, and carve it off after cooking. Steaks cut from a rib roast are called pork loin chops or pork rib chops.
• Pork Top Loin Roasts are created by tying two top loins together with the fat sides out.
• Pork Sirloin Roasts (also known as loin pork roast, pork hipbone roast, pork loin end roast) are lean but less expensive than pork tenderloins. They can be difficult to carve if bone-in, so have your butcher bone, roll, and tie it.
• Boston Butts require long, slow cooking but offer tremendous flavor.

As a general rule, bone-in roasts can be cooked as-is, while boneless roasts benefit from being tied up like the one pictured. Use kitchen twine or plain, uncolored cotton string to tie loops around the roast, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

Pork Sausages

Many—and perhaps most—sausages are traditionally made with pork. Some are fresh and need cooking; others are already cooked or smoked or cured when sold and need heating up or slicing. Learn details about different sausages here. 

Pork Hocks and Shanks

We may call them pork hocks and shanks, but a pig might refer to them as its shins. They are often smoked and make great additions to soups or bean dishes to add flavor and body to the broth.

Ham hocks, technically, still have the skin on and are usually sold smoked. When the skin is removed, they are referred to as shanks, which are usually sold raw (as pictured) and respond very well to braising.

Pork Butt and Shoulder

Here's the thing: both pork butt and pork shoulder come from the shoulder. They are technically different cuts, with the butt (also known as Boston shoulder, among other Boston-named variations) coming from a thicker section of the shoulder with intense marbling. This makes it ideal for pulled pork and other barbecue styles. The shoulder (also called pork blade shoulder or picnic shoulder) is usually the triangular piece that would be attached to the butt.

Many styles and regional variations exist in butchery, making it difficult for the average consumer to know exactly where the cut is from. Fortunately, both require long, slow cooking and are great when barbecued, braised, used as stew meat, or in making gyro, so they are interchangeable.

Pork Tenderloin

(a.k.a. pork tender, pork fillet) is extremely popular. It is also, along with pork loin chops, the most expensive cut of pork. It is lean, tender, and boneless. Pork tenderloin is easy to cook—try grilling, roasting, or broiling it—but be mindful that it is also easy to _overcook_. Pay close attention when it's on the fire or in the oven!

Pork tenderloins are sometimes sold with a silverskin, or silvery membrane, still attached. Remove this before cooking, as pictured (or ask your butcher to remove it for you).

Pork Fat Back

Pork fat back is the fat from the back of a pig. It is considered "hard fat," which can be chopped and ground (as opposed to the visceral or "soft fat" found in the abdominal cavity). Fatback is a key ingredient in sausages as it adds both fat and moisture. However, it has a relatively high water content, so adding too much to burgers or meatloaves will cause noticeable shrinkage when cooked.

Pork Lard

Lard is rendered fat from pork. It can be used just like any cooking oil or fat and is prized for the delicious flavor it adds when frying.

Leaf lard is the highest grade of lard. It comes from the visceral, or "soft," fat around the kidneys and loin of the pig. This type of lard lacks any strong pork or meaty flavor, making it a neutral cooking fat with a high smoking point. Leaf lard is particularly valued by bakers for creating moist, flaky pie crusts.

Pork Knuckles, Trotters, and Beyond

There are many more cuts of pork, such as pork knuckles and trotters. These parts require long, slow cooking to break down the connective tissue that would otherwise make them tough, but this process rewards you with a rich, meaty flavor.

There's also organ meat, with pork liver being a key ingredient in many paté recipes, as well as the head. Meat from the head is cooked and transformed into headcheese, a true delicacy.