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Know your pork before you buy

What each cut is like, and what to cook with it

Know your pork before you buy - What each cut is like, and what to cook with it
  1. Shoulder — Marbled and forgiving. Best cooked slowly. Best for: braising, roasting, pulled meat, mince, burgers.
  2. Picnic shoulder — Tougher lower shoulder, full flavour. Best for: stews, mince, burgers, sausages.
  3. Loin — Lean and tender. Dries out fast. Best for: cutlets, grilling, roasting.
  4. Tenderloin — The leanest, most tender strip. Best for: a quick sear, cutlets.
  5. Belly — Layers of fat and meat. Best for: braising, roasting, grilling, curing.
  6. Spare ribs — Rich meat on the bone. Best for: grilling, braising, slow cooking.
  7. Leg — Large and lean. Best for: roasting, curing, cutlets.
  8. Hock — Skin, tendon and collagen. Best for: braising, soup, slow cooking.
  9. Jowl — Very fatty and tender. Best for: grilling, curing.
  10. Trotter — Mostly skin and gelatin. Best for: braising, soup, stock.

Cook pork to 63 °C (145 °F) and rest it 3 minutes; mince to 71 °C (160 °F). Cut names vary by country and shop. Text and pictures were made with AI.

Which meat thermometer should you buy? Four questions, then the type that fits how you cook.

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