Pork Cut Guide

Pork Shoulder Arm Picnic

Pork shoulder arm picnic contains arm bone, shank bone, and a portion of blade bone. It also contains shoulder muscles interspersed with fat. The shank and part of the lower area are covered with skin. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Shoulder Arm Roast

Pork shoulder arm roast is cut from pork shoulder arm picnic. The shank is removed, leaving the round arm bone and the meaty part of the arm picnic. The outside is covered with a thin layer of fat. Pork shoulder arm roast is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Shoulder Arm Steak

Pork shoulder arm steak has the same muscle and bone structure as pork shoulder arm roast, only cut thinner. It contains round arm bone and the meaty part of the arm picnic. The outside is covered with a thin layer of fat. It is usually prepared by braising or panfrying.

Pork Shoulder Blade (Boston) Roast

Pork shoulder blade (Boston) roast contains the top portion of whole shoulder, the blade bone exposed on two sides, and some intermuscular fat. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Shoulder Blade Steak

Pork shoulder blade steak is cut from pork shoulder blade Boston roast. It contains blade bone and several muscles and is usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Cubed Steaks

Pork cubed steaks are square or rectangular. The cubed effect is made by a machine that tenderizes the meat mechanically. The steaks may be made from muscles of several primal cuts and are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, or panbroiling.

Pork Cubes for Kabobs

Pork cubes for kabob are boneless, lean, and cut into cubes. They are usually prepared by broiling, grilling, braising, panfrying, or roasting.

Pork Hocks

Pork hocks are cut from picnic shoulder and are similar to pork shank cross cuts. They contain two round shank bones exposed at both ends and are usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid.

Pork Loin Blade Roast

Pork loin blade roast contains part of the blade bone, rib bones, and backbone. It also contains large loin eye muscle surrounded by several smaller muscles. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Loin Blade Chops

Pork loin blade chops are cut from the blade end of loin and contain the same muscle and bone structure as pork loin blade roast, including part of the blade bone, rib bones, backbone, large loin eye muscle and several smaller muscles. Pork loin blade chops are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Country-Style Ribs

Pork loin country-style ribs are made by splitting the blade end of loin into halves lengthwise. The ribs contain part of the loin eye muscle and either rib bones or backbones. They are usually prepared by roasting, baking, braising, broiling, grilling, or by cooking in liquid.

Pork Loin Back Ribs

Pork loin back ribs are cut from the blade and center sections of loin. They contain rib bones, meat between the ribs called finger meat, with a layer of meat covering the ribs that come from the loin eye muscle. Pork loin back ribs are usually prepared by roasting, baking, braising, broiling, grilling, or by cooking in liquid.

Pork Loin Center Rib Roast

Pork loin center rib roast is a cut from the center rib area of loin. It contains loin eye muscle and rib bones, and is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Loin Rib Chops (Center Cut Chops)

Pork loin rib chops, also called center cut chops, contain eye muscle and backbone. Rib bone may also be present, depending on the thickness of the cut. Fat covers the outside edge. These chops are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Center Loin Roast

Pork loin center loin roast is a cut from the center of loin. It contains rib eye, tenderloin muscles, rib bones, T-shaped bones, and a thin fat covering. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Loin Top Loin Chops

Pork loin top loin chops contain top loin muscles and backbone running the length of the cut. The tenderloin is removed, and there is an outside covering of fat. These chops are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Butterfly Chops

Pork loin butterfly chops are a double chop, about two inches thick, which comes from the boneless loin eye muscle. It is sliced in half to form two sides resembling a butterfly. Butterfly chops are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Top Loin Roast Boneless (Double)

Pork loin top loin roast boneless (double) is two boneless loins reversed and tied together with the fat side facing out. It is used to make boneless roast and is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Loin Chops

Pork loin chops are cut from the sirloin end of loin. The eye muscle and tenderloin is divided by a T-shaped bone. The chops also contain backbone and are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Sirloin Roast

Pork loin sirloin roast contains hip bone and backbone. The largest muscle is the eye of loin, separated from the smaller tenderloin muscles by finger bones. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Loin Sirloin Chops

Pork loin sirloin chops are cut from the sirloin end of loin. They have the same muscle and bone structure as pork loin sirloin roast, containing hip bone and backbone. The largest muscle is the eye of loin, separated from the smaller tenderloin muscles by finger bones. Pork loin sirloin chops are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Sirloin Cutlets

Pork loin sirloin cutlets are boneless slices cut from the sirloin end of loin after the tenderloin, hip bone, and backbone are removed. They are usually prepared by braising, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Pork Loin Tenderloin Whole

Pork loin tenderloin whole is a boneless cut taken from the inside of loin. The largest end is round and gradually tapers to the thin flat end. Very tender, it is usually prepared by roasting, baking, braising, broiling, or grilling.

Pork Spareribs

Pork spareribs are cut from the side. They contain long rib bones with a thin covering of meat on the outside and between the ribs. They may also contain rib cartilage. Pork spareribs are usually prepared by roasting, baking, broiling, grilling, or by cooking in liquid.

Fresh Side Pork

Fresh side pork is the same cut as slab bacon but it is fresh. It is taken from the section of side that remains after the loin and spareribs are removed. The layered lean from fat is generally used as a seasoning. Fresh side pork is usually prepared by cooking in liquid.

Pork Leg (Fresh Ham) Whole

Pork leg (fresh ham) whole is a bone-in hind leg, usually covered with skin and fat about halfway up the leg. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Pork Leg (Fresh Ham) Shank Portion

Pork leg (fresh ham) shank portion is the lower portion of the leg. It contains shank bone and part of the femur bone. Skin covers the shank and a small portion of the outside muscle. It is usually prepared by roasting or by cooking in liquid.

Ground Pork

Ground pork is unseasoned and ground from wholesale cuts that are generally in limited demand. It is also made from lean trimmings and sold in bulk form. Ground pork is usually prepared by broiling, grilling, panbroiling, panfrying, roasting, or baking.

Smoked Pork Shoulder Picnic Whole

Smoked pork shoulder picnic whole has the same muscle and bone structure as fresh pork shoulder arm picnic. In addition, it is cured and smoked. It contains arm bone, shank bone, and a portion of blade bone with shoulder muscles interspersed with fat. The shank and a part of the lower area are covered with skin. It is usually prepared by roasting, baking, or by cooking in liquid.

Smoked Pork Shoulder Roll

Smoked pork shoulder roll is the cured and smoked meaty boneless eye of pork shoulder blade Boston roast. It is usually prepared by roasting, baking, or by cooking in liquid.

Smoked Pork Hocks

Smoked pork hocks contain two round shank bones exposed at both ends. They are oval-shaped, two to three inches thick, cured, and smoked. They are usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid.

Smoked Pork Loin Canadian-Style Bacon

Smoked pork loin Canadian-style bacon is made from boneless loin, a single elongated muscle with little fat. Cured and smoked, it is usually prepared by roasting, baking (if sliced), broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Smoked Pork Loin Rib Chops

Smoked pork loin rib chops have the same muscle and bone structure as fresh pork loin rib chops, but they are also cured and smoked. They contain loin eye muscle and backbone. The rib bone may also be present. They are usually prepared by roasting, baking, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Smoked Pork Loin Chops

Smoked pork loin chops have the same muscle and bone structure as fresh pork loin chops, but they are also cured and smoked. They are cut from the sirloin end of loin and contain eye muscle and tenderloin divided by a T-shaped backbone. They are usually prepared by roasting, baking, broiling, grilling, panbroiling, or panfrying.

Smoked Ham Whole

Smoked ham whole has the same muscle and bone structure as pork leg (fresh ham) whole, but it is also cured and smoked. It contains the bone-in hind leg. It is usually prepared by roasting or baking.

Smoked Ham Shank Portion

Smoked ham shank portion has the same muscle and bone structure as pork leg (fresh ham) shank portion, but it is also cured and smoked. The lower potion of the leg, it contains shank bone and part of the femur bone. It is usually prepared by roasting or baking.

Smoked Ham Rump Portion

Smoked ham rump portion is a portion of cured and smoked ham that contains the aitchbone and part of the leg bone. A thin layer of fat covers the outer surface. It is usually prepared by roasting or baking.

Smoked Ham Center Slice

Smoked ham center slice is cut from the center portion of cured, smoked ham. It contains top, bottom, tip muscles, and round bone. It is usually prepared by broiling, grilling, panbroiling, panfrying, roasting, or baking.

Slab Bacon

Slab bacon is cured and smoked side. It contains steaks of lean and fat on one side. The other side may be covered with skin. Slab bacon is usually prepared by broiling (if sliced), panbroiling, panfrying, roasting, or baking.

Sliced Bacon

Sliced bacon is sliced from slab bacon. It may be shingled with the outer skin removed. It is usually prepared by broiling, panbroiling, panfrying, roasting, or baking.

Sausage Links

Sausage links are made from ground, fresh meat and with seasonings such as salt, pepper, and sage. These are stuffed into casings and shaped into links. Sausage links are usually prepared by braising, panfrying, roasting, or baking.