The Home Cook’s Guide to Pork Cuts
A freezer full of trusted meat from a local farm, prepared into the cuts you personally selected according to your family’s tastes, is a dream come true when it comes to feeding your family well.
You are one step closer to dinner on the table every night!
Here is a general guide to some basic pork cuts you can select in pork shares. Some butchers may offer more or less options, so ask your butcher about any special requests you have!
Pork should always be cooked to an internal temp of 145 degrees Fahrenheit
Ground Pork / Sausage
What it is: any extra edible meat that has not been saved for a specific cut of meat ground up; can usually choose a seasoning or flavor offered by the butcher; often offered loose or links
What it’s best for: pastas, casseroles, soups, quick meals, meatballs
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: my favorite flavors of ground, loose pork are maple, sage, and Italian
Pork Chops
What it is: a cross-section slice of the loin, a cut of meat similar to a steak from a cow
What it’s best for: baking, grilling, pan-searing
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: baked pork chops generally require roughly 8 minutes per ½ inch thickness in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, but some studies have shown that pasture raised pork cooks 20% faster than conventional pork, so you may need to experiment
Pork Roast
What it is: often the pork shoulder/Boston butt; flavorful
What it’s best for: slow cooking
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: roasts are pretty versatile - think pulled pork sandwiches, hearty pot roasts with potatoes and gravy, or carnitas tacos
Bacon
What it is: sliced strips ofcured pork belly
What it’s best for: a stand-alone side, sandwiches, chopped and added to dishes
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: I find it’s easiest to bake bacon, (no painful fat splatters!), 400 degrees Fahrenheit for around 18 minutes, give or take depending on you preference for crispiness
Ribs
What it is: literally the ribs of the pig
What it’s best for: slow cooking for tender, fall-off-the-bone smoky meat
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: classic with BBQ sauce and comfort foods like macaroni & cheese and coleslaw
Ham
What it is: the hind leg of the pig
What it’s best for: slow cooking, holiday roasts, slicing for sandwiches
Farmhouse Kitchen Tip: if you don’t think you will ever want to take on cooking a whole ham, you can often elect to get the ham cut into “center slices,” which are essentially large steak-like cuts of ham, ideal for pan-searing for breakfast
This is far from all-inclusive - many of these cuts can be refined or customized further (baby back vs spare ribs, pork tenderloin, pork belly, organ meats), but these are the cuts we use most from our own pork share in our kitchen.
Get in the kitchen and make something special!
- Hannah