Meat
Pork
Pork is one of the world's most widely consumed meats, valued for its mild sweetness, generous fat, and extraordinary versatility from slow-roasted shoulders to crisp belly and delicate fillet. Breed, diet, and finishing method strongly influence marbling, colour, and the suitability of cuts for roasting, braising, curing, or charcuterie. From Chinese red-braised belly to Spanish jamón, German bratwurst, and American barbecue ribs, pork anchors cuisines across every continent. Understanding cuts, breeds, and regional grading helps match the right product to fresh cooking, smoking, or long curing.
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Baby Back Ribs
Belly
Blood
Bone
Boston Butt
Brain
Cheek
Chop
Collar
Country Style Ribs
Cushion
Cutlet
Ear
Fat
Ground
Ham
Heart
Hock
Intestine
Jowl
Kidney
Leg
Liver
Loin
Neck
Picnic
Ribeye
Rump
Sausage Meat
Shank
Shoulder
Sirloin
Skin
Spare Ribs
Spleen
St Louis Ribs
Stomach
Striploin
Sweetbread
Tail
Tenderloin
Tongue
Trotter
Breeds, cuts & preparations
Variety
Source
Provenance
Preparation
CommonCharacteristic
Grading systems
Europe — EUROP
E · O · P · R · U
Spain — Ibérico
Bellota · Cebo · Recebo
United States — USDA
Acceptable · Choice · Prime
History
Pigs were domesticated independently in the Near East and China, becoming a staple protein as agriculture spread across Eurasia.
Iberian pig husbandry and salt-curing traditions laid foundations for jamón ibérico and enduring European charcuterie culture.
Intensive breeding and railroad distribution expanded commercial pork production across North America.
Lean-genetics programmes and industrial slaughter systems reshaped global pork supply while heritage breeds retained niche demand.