Meat Cuts Of A Pig

Let’s be honest: a pig is basically a delicious, pink, four-legged treasure chest. And just like a real treasure chest, you don’t just smash it open with a hammer. You need a map to the good stuff—the cuts of meat.

First up: the shoulder. This is the pig’s gym, the part that does all the rooting and shoving. That constant hard work means lots of connective tissue, which sounds gross but is actually magic. Slow-cook that shoulder, and it breaks down into pulled pork, the kind of tender, smoky goodness that makes you forget your own name. Fun fact: Boston butt isn’t from the butt; it’s from the shoulder. Someone got confused centuries ago, and we’re all just rolling with it.

Now let’s talk about the loin. Imagine the pig doing a sit-up—this is the strip of muscle along its back. This part is the lazy pig muscle, so it’s super lean and tender, which makes it the VIP of the pig. Pork chops and pork tenderloin come from here. They cook fast, they’re fancy, and if you overcook them, they turn into cardboard. Don’t do that. Your ancestors didn’t domesticate pigs for you to eat a hockey puck.

The belly is where the pig’s life gets really good. This is the flabby, fatty underside, and it’s the source of bacon. Yes, bacon is just cured and smoked pork belly. It’s the reason vegetarians sometimes have “cheat days.” Surprise fact: A pig’s belly has about the same fat-to-meat ratio as a New York strip steak, but we treat it like a crispy, salty god.

What about the legs and hams? The ham is the pig’s rear end, the big, powerful thigh. It’s a massive muscle, so it can be a bit tough if you’re not careful. That’s why we cure and smoke it for holiday dinners, or slice it into prosciutto, which is basically ham that went to spa school for two years. Pro tip: If you buy a whole, bone-in ham, you are the lord of the table.

Meat Cuts Pig Diagram at George Redden blog

Don’t forget the spareribs. These come from the belly side of the rib cage, where the fat is thick and the chewing is a sport. Then there are baby back ribs, which come from higher up, near the loin. They’re smaller, leaner, and cost more because marketers convinced us smaller means fancier. The truth? Both are amazing. Just slather them in sauce and eat with your hands. Nature’s fork.

Now, the jowl. This is the pig’s cheek, and it looks like a flabby pancake. But fry that sucker up, and you get guanciale, the secret weapon of real carbonara. It’s like bacon’s louder, more flavorful cousin who shows up at a party and steals the spotlight. Don’t skip the jowl.

The Whole Hog: A Primer on All the Cuts of Pork | Pork, Thin pork chops

Finally, the trotters—the feet. Yes, people eat them. They’re basically gelatin on bones. Chefs love them for stock or braising, but you won’t find them in a drive-thru. Weird fact: Pig feet are called “trotters” because pigs trot, which makes total sense and also sounds like a bad pun.

So next time you look at a pig, remember: every part has a job, and every job leads to dinner. Treat the pig with respect, and thank a butcher for making sense of this glorious, snorting puzzle.