Meat Geography: Lesson 2

[ozmandias]

Once again I want to take a trip into the strange and mysterious world of meat geography. I transversed the country of cow last post, but this time I want something a little less red, so I’m going to talk about pork. Once again, I am going to continue my analogy of the pig being a country divided into different states with their own unique exports. With this said, I will begin my lesson.

To begin this porktastic journey, I am going to start with the rear state on the pig, the Leg (#1). Although the name of the state does not sound very exciting, the cuts of meat that come from there certainly are. The Cured Ham which everyone is familiar with comes from here as well as the Fresh Ham. There is also the Fresh Ham Short Shank, Boneless Fresh Ham, Coarse Chopped Pork, and Cubed Stake. Just as a side note, fresh hams taste entirely different from cured hams for those of you who haven’t had one or the other.

To the right of the Leg along the back of the pig, we find the Loin (#2). The Loin Roast and Rib Roast both hail from this region. Other tasty cuts from here are the ever popular Tenderloin; Center Cut Loin Chops, Loin Back Ribs, and Country-Style Ribs. Everything here is delicious, just delicious.

Next off we travel to the Side (#3) of the pig, which is located to the right of the Leg on the bottom of the Loin. There are no roasts from this area, but the arguably most amazing cut off the entire animal comes from here- Bacon. Yes, the Side of the pig gives meat lovers everywhere the wondrous product that is Bacon. It also yields Spareribs, St. Louis Style Spareribs, Shoulder Hocks and Fresh Ham Hocks.

Once again, we set off going right, this time from the Side, and run into the Arm or Picnic Shoulder (#4) of the pig. Here we find the Shoulder Roast, Shanks, and Smoked Ham Hocks. The last one makes for a mean pot of beans. This area might not provide the most cuts, but it certainly should not be overlooked.

Finally we come to a stop at the Blade or Boston-Style Shoulder (#5), located right above the Picnic Shoulder. Both the Shoulder Roast and the Boston Butt Roast come from this area. Yes, oddly enough, the Boston Butt is from the shoulder of the animal and not the rear as the name would suggest. Other misleadingly named cuts from the area are Boston Butt Steaks, Shoulder Butt, and the very straight forward Ground Pork.

Now our journey across the county that is pig has come to an end. I hope that you now feel empowered by your knowledge of both cow and pig geography, but there is still one last challenge ahead- perilous poultry. Fear not; I will teach you the way of the fowl next time.