Basic Pork Primal Cuts
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Explore the five pork primal cuts, review a list of pork meats from each, and understand their common uses.
by Jodi Cronauer
Pigs come in many assorted sizes, ranging from the smaller breeds such as Juliana (40 to 80 pounds) or KuneKune (100 to 300 pounds), to the larger breeds such as the Large Black (700 to 800 pounds) or the Poland China (550 to 660). We raise Idaho Pasture Pigs, a medium-sized breed (250 to 350 pounds for sows and 350 to 450 pounds for boars).
Regardless of what breed you raise, one thing that’ll be the same is the cuts of meat. The quality of the pork, size of the cuts, quantity of meat/fat, amount of pork you get back, how long it takes to raise the pig, and the overall taste of the pork will vary, but where the cuts come from is universal.
Let’s look at the sections of a pig and the cuts that come from each.
Pork Shoulder
The pork shoulder is often a tougher cut because the shoulders of a pig aren’t used only for walking, but for holding up the pig’s head. This area tends to have more fat and makes excellent ground pork or sausage.
- Pork butt or Boston butt roast is deceptive in its name because, unlike what the name insinuates, the pork butt comes from the shoulder region. Pork butt works well in a smoker and is ideal for pulled pork.
- Picnic roast or arm roast comes from the lower part of the shoulder.
Pork Loin
This is the area that runs along the back of the pig from the front shoulder to the butt. Pork loin is usually juicy and delicious, and can be cut in several different ways.
- Pork tenderloin or pork filet
- Pork chops
- Pork loin chops are usually cut bone-in.
- Canadian bacon
Ribs
- Rib chops are, as the name implies, cut from the rib region. The ribs used for these chops are also what could be used for baby back ribs.
- While baby back ribs are cut from the loin region, spareribs are cut from the side of the pig and, for this reason, they tend to be the least meaty of the pork ribs.
Pork Belly
The pork belly isn’t the stomach of a pig, but the underside. It’s the area that surrounds the belly region. One of the most-favored parts of a pig is cut from this region. Yes, you guessed it! Bacon! The pig’s belly is usually taken off in one big section and cut into smaller slices, with a good mixture of meat to fat. When this area is cured, it’s referred to as bacon. When left uncured or fresh, it’s referred to as side pork or pork belly.
Leg/Ham
The hind leg of a pig is usually separated into two sections.
- Upper section: Hams are cut from this area and can be found fresh, smoked, or cured. The ham region can also be left whole, cut in half, or cut into ham steaks. Another common use for this region is to cut it into roasts or used for prosciutto.
- Lower section: This area is commonly referred to as the shank. A ham shank is the area just under the hip region. It’s usually processed skin-off and raw. A ham hock comes from the lowest area near the ankle and is usually found skin-on and, is typically smoked.
Other commonly used parts of the pig:
- Fat is commonly rendered down to make lard.
- Trotters come from the feet region.
- Jowl meat (jowl bacon) is from the cheek region.
- Organ meat, such as pork liver, is a key ingredient in some delicacies.
- Meat from the head is used to make head cheese.
When getting your pork cut, you have several options per region. One additional thing to note is that any of the meat from your pig can be used for ground pork or sausage. Some options for the sausage are:
- Ground sausage
- Links
- Patties
- Brats
- Italian sausage
- Kielbasa
Regardless of what your favorite cut of pork is, one thing is almost always true — there’s a cut for everyone! Remember, quality is created in how the pig is raised, what the pig eats, and the stress or lack of stress in the pig’s life. Knowing where your pork comes from and how it’s raised will enable you to not only get the cut of pork you like, but the quality of pork you deserve!
Jodi Cronauer lives in Wisconsin with her husband and her three sons. They raise Idaho Pasture pigs, Kunekune pigs, and American bison as well as Gypsy Vanner horses. The meat from their pigs and bison is rich in essential nutrients because they eat grass as their primary diet. Jodi is the author of Raising Pigs on Green Pastures (Dorrance Publishing, 2021).
Originally published in the July/August 2025 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
