Meat Cuts & Butchery Academy
Pork cuts
Pork shoulder and belly are fatty and forgiving for slow cooking; the loin is lean and easy to overcook. Some readers do not eat pork for religious or personal reasons — every other section of this academy stands on its own.
Primal cuts diagram
Select a region — or Tab to it and press Enter — to see the cuts from it.
Stylised outline, not to anatomical scale.
Primal cut
Boston butt (upper shoulder)
Upper shoulder: heavily marbled; the cut for pulled pork, char siu and carnitas.
- UK
- Spare rib joint, blade, collar
- US
- Boston butt, pork butt
- Pork butt / collar
Medium — fast or slow · Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Roast, Braise, stew or curry, Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast)
Low and slow until it pulls (about 90–95 °C inside for shredding), or slice for grilling.
Try: BBQ pulled pork, Carnitas, Char siu (Cantonese barbecue pork)
All cuts
Boston butt (upper shoulder)
Upper shoulder: heavily marbled; the cut for pulled pork, char siu and carnitas.
Pork butt / collar
Medium · Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Roast, Braise, stew or curry, Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast)
Low and slow until it pulls (about 90–95 °C inside for shredding), or slice for grilling.
- UK
- Pork shoulder (spare rib), collar
- US
- Boston butt
Picnic (lower shoulder)
Lower shoulder: tougher, often sold with skin; roast for crackling or braise.
Picnic / hand of pork
Tough — low and slow · Roast, Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Braise, stew or curry
Slow-roast with the skin on, or dice for stews.
- UK
- Hand of pork
- US
- Picnic roast
Loin
Along the back: lean chops, tenderloin and baby back ribs; cook quickly.
Loin chops and cutlets
Tender · Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast), Fry crisp (crumbed or battered)
Pan-fry or grill to 63 °C and rest; or beat thin, crumb and fry.
- UK
- Loin chops
- US
- Pork chops (loin, rib)
Tenderloin
Tender · Roast, Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast), Stir-fry (thin strips)
Lean; roast or slice into medallions and sear.
- UK
- Pork fillet, tenderloin
- US
- Pork tenderloin
Back ribs
Medium · Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Roast, Soup, broth or poach
Slow-roast or simmer in soup.
- UK
- Loin ribs, back ribs
- US
- Baby back ribs
Belly / side
Layers of fat and meat: crisp roasting, red-braising and bacon.
Pork belly
Medium · Braise, stew or curry, Roast, Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Stir-fry (thin strips)
Braise until silky, or roast hot for crackling; sliced thin for stir-fries.
- UK
- Belly pork
- US
- Pork belly
Spareribs
Medium · Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Roast
Low oven or smoker for hours, then glaze.
- UK
- Spare ribs (belly ribs)
- US
- Spareribs, St Louis ribs
Leg / ham
Large lean muscles: roasts, schnitzel, or cured as ham.
Leg joint / steaks
Medium · Roast, Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast), Stir-fry (thin strips)
Roast with crackling, or slice thin for skewers and stir-fries.
- UK
- Leg joint, leg steaks
- US
- Fresh ham, leg cutlets
Hock and trotter
Lower legs: skin, sinew and bone; for long braises and gelatinous soups.
Hock / knuckle
Tough — low and slow · Braise, stew or curry, Soup, broth or poach, Slow-cook, pull or smoke
Simmer for hours; smoked hocks flavour beans and greens.
- UK
- Knuckle, hock
- US
- Ham hock
Names around the world
- US 'Boston butt' is the upper shoulder, not the rear.
- Bacon is cured belly in the US; UK back bacon is cured loin with a strip of belly.
- Ribs: baby back ribs come from the loin; spareribs from the belly side.
Safe internal temperatures
- Chops, steaks, roasts (fresh pork)
- US: 145 °F (63 °C), then rest 3 minutes
- UK: Pork should be cooked all the way through: no pink, juices run clear. UK advice for meat that must be cooked through: the centre should reach 70 °C for 2 minutes (or 65 °C for 10 minutes, 75 °C for 30 seconds, 80 °C for 6 seconds).
- Mince and sausages
- US: 160 °F (71 °C)
- UK: Cook through until steaming hot with no pink.
Sources
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking — FoodSafety.gov (US Department of Health and Human Services)
- Cooking your food — Food Standards Agency (UK), on GOV.UK