Pillar Reference
Pork Cuts
Encyclopedia.
A hog breaks down into 5 primals and roughly 40 retail cuts. Heritage and Kurobuta pork rewards you for trying the ones the grocery industry stopped carrying.
The 5 Primals
| Primal | Location | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder (Butt + Picnic) | Front, above leg | Slow-cook, pulled pork, sausage |
| Loin | Back, top | Roast, chop, tenderloin |
| Belly | Under loin | Bacon, porchetta, braise |
| Leg (Ham) | Rear leg | Cure, smoke, roast |
| Sparerib / Side | Belly + lower rib area | BBQ, low-and-slow |
Shoulder Primal Cuts
- Boston Butt (Upper Shoulder): Despite the name, it's the upper shoulder, not the rear. Classic pulled pork cut.
- Picnic Roast (Lower Shoulder): Less marbled than butt, also great for slow-cooking.
- Pork Collar: Anterior shoulder, Italian coppa. Pork Collar vs Shoulder →
- Pork Cushion: Boneless picnic cut, great for braising or sausage.
Loin Primal Cuts
- Pork Chops (Bone-In or Boneless): The default. How to cook →
- Pork Tenderloin: Most tender cut, leanest. Quick-cook.
- Pork Loin Roast (Center-Cut): Larger roast, low-and-slow or grill.
- Pork Sirloin: From the rear of the loin.
- Country-Style Ribs: Not actually ribs — they're cut from the blade end of the loin.
- Baby Back Ribs: From under the loin. Baby Back vs Spare →
Belly Primal Cuts
- Pork Belly (skin-on or skin-off): The bacon cut. Also brilliant for porchetta and braised pork belly.
- Bacon: Cured + smoked pork belly. Heritage bacon is in a different league.
- Spare Ribs: Bone-in ribs from the belly side. Spare vs Baby Back →
- St. Louis-Style Ribs: Spare ribs with rib tips and breastbone trimmed for a uniform slab.
- Rib Tips: The trim from St. Louis cut, prized for smoking.
Leg Primal (Ham) Cuts
- Whole Ham (Fresh or Cured): Roast, smoke, or cure. How to Cook a Ham →
- Spiral-Sliced Ham: Pre-sliced, glazed, hot-held style.
- Country Ham: Dry-cured + aged, much saltier than wet-cured.
- Pork Hocks / Shanks: Lower leg cuts, gelatin-rich, classic for stock and braising.
- Pork Tail / Foot: Traditional barbecue and soul food cuts.
Heritage vs Commodity Pork
Every cut above tastes different depending on breed. Heritage pork breeds — Berkshire, Duroc, Tamworth, Mangalitsa — were largely abandoned by US commodity producers in the 1980s in favor of lean, fast-growing Yorkshire and Landrace genetics. The result is the dry, pale pork your parents called "pork chops."
Heritage pork is what pork used to taste like. Darker color, real marbling, fat that actually renders. Read the full comparison →
Kurobuta pork is the Japanese term for 100% Berkshire — the "Wagyu of pork." Kurobuta guide →
Reserve a Heritage Pork Share
Half share $700 (~80 lbs, $8.75/lb). Whole share $1,300 (~160 lbs, $8.13/lb). Pickup Aug 15, 2026.
Reserve a Share