Pork is divided into 5 Primal Cuts: Shoulder Butt, Picnic Shoulder, Loin, Ham and Belly
(Click on the Primal Cut below for a description of the cuts or click on the hog diagram)
[Learn how to make the 5 Primal Cuts on a Hog here!!]

Shoulder Butt

Picnic Shoulder

Loin

Ham

Side (Belly)

Notebook Size Meat Charts

• Be prepared and knowledgeable the next time you're at the Grocery Store Meat Department!

• A Handy Tool for Deciding How to Cook the Different Pork Cuts!
  

• These Charts Are A Handy Pork Cutting Reference Chart!

•     A Great Visual Aid to Cutting Pork! 

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Pork is the meat of hogs usually butchered before they are one year old. With the exception of beef Americans consume more pork than any other meat. The pork we eat is leaner and healthier than it once was because of advances in animal husbandry. Since hogs are butchered at a young age, their meat is generally very tender with a delicate flavor. It is well suited to a variety of cooking methods. More than two thirds of the pork marketed in the United States is cured to produce products such as smoked hams and smoked bacon.

PRIMAL AND SUB PRIMAL CUTS OF PORK

After a hog is slaughtered, it is generally split down the backbone, dividing the carcass into bilateral halves. Like the beef carcass, each side of the hog carcass is then further broken down into the primal cuts: shoulder, Boston butt, belly, loin and fresh ham. Hogs are bred specifically to produce long loins: The loin contains the highest-quality meat and is the most expensive cut of pork.

Pork is unique in that the ribs and loin are considered a single primal. They are not separated into two different primal, as are the ribs and loin of beef, veal and lamb. . As with all meats, it is important to know the location of bones when cutting or working with pork. This makes meat fabrication and carving easier and aids in identifying cuts. A hog carcass generally weighs in a range of 120 to 210 pounds

Pork is not graded with USDA quality grades as it is generally produced from young animals that have been bred and fed to produce more uniformly tender meat. Appearance is an important guide in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts with a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and grayish pink in color. For best flavor and tenderness, meat should have a small amount of marbling.

Pork's consistency makes it suitable for a variety of cooking styles. Chops can be prepared by pan broiling, grilling, baking, braising, or sautéing. Ribs can be braised, roasted, or grilled. Slow cooking yields the most tender and flavorful results. Tenderloins are considered to be the most tender and tasty cut of pork.

        The Hog Cutting Breakdown Chart  shows how pork wholesale cuts are separated from the carcass. After learning how various wholesale cuts are converted to retail cuts, one can tell the retailer how to have these retail cuts fabricated and can do some of the cutting.

A Hog Is Not All Chops

Even though pork is a value when compared to other food rich in protein and vitamins, it seems appropriate to discuss the difference in cost between a live hog and various pork cuts for the benefit of producers and consumers. It should be recognized that a hog is not all chops. This statement is verified by the following illustrations:

• Typical live weight 250 lbs.

• Carcass weight 180 lbs. (72% of live weight)

• Saleable retail cuts 145 lbs. (58% of live weight)

• Fat, bones and skin 35 lbs.

• Saleable retail cuts would be approximately:

• Ham 44 lbs (Click here to see our Sugar Cure for curing hams)

• Loin chops 36 lbs.

• Cured or fresh picnic roasts 12 lbs.

• Boston butt roasts or slices 13 lbs.

• Bacon 28 lbs. (Click here to see our Sugar Cure for curing bacons)

• Spareribs 7 lbs.

• Feet, tail and neckbones 11 lbs.

• Sausage 12 lbs. (Click here to see our Natural Hog Casings.  Available by the Hank or Home Size Pack)

  So, there are only about 36 pounds of pork chops for every 250 pounds of live weight or 180 pounds carcass weight and 127 pounds of other pork cuts to be sold. That is why a meat retailer needs to price pork so that all cuts sell. Since pork chops are in great demand and are relatively easy to prepare, especially in small portions, it is necessary to sell chops at a higher price per pound. To stay in business, the retailer must charge enough for each individual package of pork to cover the price paid to the producer, the cost of processing, transportation, refrigeration, labor, business overhead and other merchandising costs. It is necessary to include these costs in the retail price of pork.

  Click here to view a chart with the Pork Carcass Breakdown by weight and %!

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Click here to view a 5 minute clip of our "How To Process Pork" DVD.

1 Hour & 20 Minutes of Learning How To:

• Make The Primal Pork Cuts

• Make Sub-Primal  Pork Cuts

• Make Retail  Pork Cuts (Pork Steaks, Pork Chops, Spareribs, etc.)

• Freezer Wrap Pork Correctly

• Sharpen Your Knife Correctly

• Use A Steel Correctly

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