Although only about half of a pig is edible, (around 28% composed of blood, hair and internal is removed at slaughter, the rest being lost once the carcass is trimmed of fat, bones removed and separated into cuts)[1] how the cuts are divided and named varies by country.
British and American cuts
British cuts of pork
American cuts of pork
Head: can be used to make brawn, stocks, and soups. After boiling, the ears can be fried[2] or baked and eaten separately.
Spare rib roast and joint/blade shoulder/shoulder butt: the shoulder contains the shoulder blade. It can be boned out and rolled up as a roasting joint, or cured as "collar bacon." It is not to be confused with the rack of spare ribs from the front belly. Pork butt, despite its name, is from the upper part of the shoulder. The Boston butt, or Boston-style shoulder cut, comes from this area and may contain the shoulder blade.
Hand/arm shoulder and picnic:[3] can be cured on the bone to make a ham-like product or be used in sausages.
Loin[4]: can be cured to make back bacon or Canadian-style bacon. The loin and belly can be cured together to make a side of bacon. The loin can also be divided up into roasts (blade loin roasts, centre loin roasts, and sirloin roasts come from the front, centre, or rear of the loin), back ribs (also called baby back ribs, or riblets), pork cutlets, and pork chops. A pork loin crown roast is arranged into a circle, either boneless or with rib bones protruding upward as points in a crown. Pork tenderloin, removed from the loin, should be practically free of fat. This high-quality meat shows a very ordered arrangement of muscle cells that can cause light diffractionand structural coloration.
Fatback: the subcutaneous fat and skin on the back are used to make pork rinds, a variety of cured "meats", lardons, and lard.
Belly/side: The belly, although a fattier meat, can be used for steaks or diced as stir-fry meat. Pork belly may be rolled for roasting or cut for streaky bacon.
Legs/hams: although any cut of pork can be cured, technically speaking only the back leg is entitled to be called a ham. Legs and shoulders, when used fresh, are usually cut bone-in for roasting, or leg steaks can be cut from the bone. Three common cuts of the leg include the rump (upper portion), centre, and shank (lower portion).
Trotters: both the front and hind trotters can be cooked and eaten. They are colloquially known as "pigs feet" in the Southern United States.[6]
Spare ribs, or spareribs: taken from the pig's ribs and the meat surrounding the bones. St. Louis–style spareribs have the sternum, cartilage, and skirt meat removed.
Knuckles, intestines, jowls (cheek) and all other parts of the pig may also be eaten.
Tail: the tail has very little meat, but many people enjoy the flavour. It can be roasted or fried, which makes the skin crisp, and the bone soft. It has a strong flavour.
