Pork Cuts for Roasting, Grilling & More—A Guide
A good butcher will have many unique cuts of pork, each suited for different cooking methods, flavors, and recipes. There will be chops, roasts, racks, and more, but which is the right one for your needs? Let’s take a quick look at the cuts of pork you should know about—all available for grocery delivery on FreshDirect.
Clockwise from top left: Boneless center-cut loin roast, pork tenderloin, St. Louis-style ribs, Frenched rib chop, pork shoulder, center-cut boneless loin chops
Best for quick cooking & grilling: Pork loin chops
Broadly speaking, a “chop” is a single-portion slice of meat that’s cut from a larger muscle. Pork chops come from the loin area, located along the spine between the hip and the shoulder. Because their meat is on the leaner and firmer side, they are best-suited for high heat methods, namely pan-searing and grilling, which gives them a browned exterior and a tender, juicy inside. They can be boneless or bone-in, with a piece of rib attached—which you go for is a matter of preference. Bone-in chops have a nicer presentation, richer flavor, and are harder to overcook and dry out. Boneless chops offer an easier carving experience on the plate.
You’ll notice a couple different types of pork chops in any grocer’s meat department, which are distinguished by where they’re cut from and the balance of fat and muscle:
Pork rib chop—Well-marbled and flavorful, with a big eye of loin meat from the ribs surrounded by some darker fat and connective tissue, like a ribeye steak. Available bone-in, boneless, or Frenched (on the bone with the darker meat trimmed away).
Center cut pork loin chop—Lean and firm, with mostly pale, supple meat from the loin area between the hips and the ribs. Available butterflied (split down the middle to give you more surface area for rolling and stuffing).
Pork loin chop—This bone-in cut is the equivalent of a porterhouse steak, with a piece of lean center-cut loin one one side and a piece of darker, softer tenderloin on the other.
Best for fancy meals: Pork loin roasts
There are a variety of larger cuts of pork that are made for feeding groups or serving on special occasions. Pork loin roasts offer plenty of leaner meat with a centerpiece-style presentation.
Pork tenderloin—This oblong muscle located just beneath the center loin has flavorful dark meat thats on the leaner, tenderer side (like a filet mignon). Tenderloins usually weigh less than two pounds, making them a sort of “mini-roast” for a smaller group.
Pork loin roast—Essentially the same meat as a loin chop, but cut from a larger cross-section. Bone-in loin roasts have a majestic row of ribs attached, while a boneless roast features a long cylinder of lean white meat.
Pork sirloin roast—The sirloin is a flavorful, juicy, darker cut taken from a corner of the loin near the hip. It’s excellent for using with rubs or marinades.
Best for stews, barbecue, and slow-cooking: Shoulders & ribs
Dishes like pulled pork and braises require darker, myoglobin-rich meat that’s usually best cooked slowly with low heat for a pull-apart texture. These are some of the cuts we turn to for homey, comforting recipes that feature pork:
Pork butt—A large, richly marbled chunk from the top of the arm (around 4–7 lb) that can be slow-roasted, smoked, or braised and shredded. Available bone-in or boneless.
Pork shoulder or picnic shoulder—Another large cut from the lower arm (6–9 lb) that can be cooked in the same ways as the butt. Shoulder can be cut up into smaller pieces for stew meat. It is slightly tougher and leaner than the butt and can come with or without the skin and bone included.
Ribs—A rack of ribs is a barbecue favorite, featuring lots of rich, fatty meat on the bone (at FreshDirect, we offer individual riblets too for less cumbersome prep). Ribs must be cooked slowly, either over a low flame or in the oven, in order to make their tough meat nicely tender. Available St. Louis-style (flatter, bonier, and with more fat) or baby back (stubby, leaner, and meatier).
Belly—The belly is the fattiest cut of pork, so while it may not be an everyday choice, it is a wonderfully rich and luscious treat. When sliced thin, it can be grilled or pan-fried quickly. If cut into larger slabs or left whole, it’s great for slow cooking, which makes it literally melt-in-your-mouth good. The belly is the cut most often used to make bacon.
Pork recipes to try
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Hickory Nut Gap is a community of Appalachian farms that are dedicated to humanely raising animals on pasture. They employ regenerative practices that enrich the land and invest in local food systems. In the words of co-owner Jamie Ager, “If we can really help change agriculture and move it in a direction that’s more connected to consumers, and more focused on a holistic framework, then that’s what we’re excited to do.”