Pigs are omnivores.
Pork roasts come from pigs, and nearly all the edible cuts of meat on a pig start as roasts, with the exception of pork belly and the back ribs. According to the National Pork Producers Council, U.S. growers produced almost 21 billion pounds of pork in 2007 from nearly 105 million hogs, generating close to $97 billion. Pork roasts can be cured or cooked fresh and provide a source of lean meat for consumers. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Pork Loin
The pork loin comes from the back of the hog. Several roasts are cut from the loin including the bone-in and boneless pork loin, the sirloin roast, the tenderloin and the crown roast. Butchers cut the crown roast from the loin, include the bones and tenderloin, then shape the roast as a crown. Cooks typically stuff the center of the roast. Bone-in and boneless pork loin are among the leanest roasts from a pig. Like a crown roast, cooks can a pork loin by butterflying the roast, inserting bread- or fruit-based stuffing and tying it with cooking twine.
Shoulder Roast
Shoulder roasts come from the front of the pig and have more fat than the loin roasts. These cuts typically are slow cooked to melt the fat and collagen inside the roasts. The shoulder is useful for creating pulled pork or fillings for Mexican food like fajitas, enchiladas or burros. Sometimes cooks put a sweet or savory rub on a pork shoulder that flavors the meat deep into the tissues. When roasting a shoulder, cooks can also include slow-cooking vegetables like carrots, celery, potatoes and chunks of onions to create a pot roast.
Picnic Roast
A picnic roast comes from the front leg of the pig. Most of the time meat processors cure the picnic roast to sell as a ham, although occasionally the picnic roast appears on meat department shelves as a fresh roast. Like the shoulder roast, the picnic roast benefits from slow, long cooking to tenderize it. This roast is also a good source of meat for barbecues, sandwich fillings and ethnic food.
Pork Leg
Like the picnic roast, most pork legs are cured as hams. Meat processors typically split the pork leg into two sections. The roast with the most meat is from the butt portion. The shank portion comes from the leg, which has less meat. Butchers can order fresh pork legs for those who want an uncured roast. Sold whole, these roast weigh 15 to 25 pounds.
Tags: picnic roast, pork loin, comes from, crown roast, boneless pork, boneless pork loin, come from