Much like how to identify cuts of beef or how to identify cuts of chicken, the pig has sections where each part of its body tastes different, has more fat or muscle, and is more tender or tough. This article is here to serve as a guide to how to identify these certain cuts and what you can utilize each part of the pig for. So, here we go!
Before we go into specifics, you ever hear of the expression, “high on the hog”? It’s referring to the most tender parts of the pork, which is located on the loin and rib– in fact, the higher up you move on the pig, the more tender and juicy the pieces get. As we go lower on the pig, that’s where we get into the tougher pieces… But that doesn’t mean to shy away from it! In fact, pickled pig’s feet is delicious and considered a bit like a delicacy.
Pig chart. Photo courtesy of about.com
So, as we can see on the chart on our right, there are eight parts of the pig that we cover. First is the jowl; then the Boston butt, picnic shoulder, foot, loin, sparerib, side, and finally the ham. But what does that all mean? Well, let’s find out!
The jowl is the pig’s head, as we can tell. This is used to make sausages as well as bacon, but one of the most unique ways to use the whole head is to make head cheese with it, which can be used as cold cuts. Neat-o, right?
Next, we have the Boston butt. I know, I know, we usually perceive the butt as being… You know… at the butt end of the animal! But not for the pig, oh no. The Boston butt is located right above the shoulder and consists of the neck, upper arm, and shoulder blade. Because the pig uses these muscles to move around, this cut of the pig is pretty tough and has a lot of connective tissue. This means that this type of meat would be great in stews, braising, roasts, and even making sausages. One other cool fact is if you go to the upper part of the butt and see a lot of fat, this fat can be used to become lard or be extra flavor on your dishes.
The shoulder is another tough piece of meat, considering that the pig moves a lot and exercises that particular muscle. This type of cut is usually smoked or cured, though sometimes it is used to make sausages.
The foot is a hunk of collagen, basically, which can produce a lot of gelatin and is often used in stocks for pork soup because of its high ability for flavor. If eaten, it is highly recommended to simmer the meat for a long time, so it can become tender… This piece is SUPER tough! Pigs feet is usually smoked, pickled, or cured when eaten, and is also popular as a Mexican dish called menudo. (Menudo is a soup with cow stomach in it, but for the broth, they use the pigs feet in order to make a nice, flavorful stock).
Pic courtesy of neal.tv
Not naturally, hogs have been bred over the years to have longer backs, producing longer loins… Some pigs can have up to 17 ribs!! The whole loin can be used, but many use the loin to create different kinds of chops like center cut, rib chops, top loin, and blade chops. There is also the tenderloin, located on the bottom end of the loin, and you also get baby back ribs from this area. Talk about a yummy area!
Oink! Photo courtesy of deviantart.
The spare ribs are… Spare ribs. They’re located right where the breastbone is meeting the belly side of the ribs, and this cut is especially used for grilling them over a long period of time. They’re also roasted and braise, or even slow cooked in a crockpot.
The side of the pork (also known as the belly of the pig), is where we get pancetta and bacon. We all know what bacon is, but what is pancetta? It’s an Italian style cooking, where they cure the side and serve it as a deli cut. It’s very flavorful, has peppercorns in it, and is overall a pretty good dish.
Finally, we are at the end (heehee… Yeah.). It’s not the Boston butt, it’s the ham of the pig! This is where you get your honey baked hams, prosciutto, and Serrano ham from. It also has the ham hock, which is usually made in Southern-type dishes. This usually is smoked, cured, or roasted, depending on what you’re doing to the cut.
But that’s it! That’s the whole pig for you. Although the curly tail is cute, we don’t particularly use it for anything, but you can totally cut it off, fry it with a pat of butter or simmer it in a broth for a little bit, and enjoy that little bit of meat! But now that you know your hog, get out there and have some of that delicious meat!
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