Side by side
Leg
Ham · fresh ham · gammon
The hind leg, the largest single piece on the pig and the one the whole curing industry is built around. Fresh it is lean and mild; salted and air-dried for a year or more it becomes jamón, prosciutto or country ham, depending on which side of a border the cellar sits on.
For roasting, pick a piece with the skin still on; for stir-frying, ask for the inside round, which is the tenderest section.
Hock & trotter
Knuckle · eisbein · jokbal
Ankle and foot: skin, tendon and bone with very little muscle. Almost pure collagen, which is why it turns broths silky and why chilled versions set into jelly on their own. Germany roasts it, Korea braises it in soy and spices, and both end up somewhere gelatinous and addictive.
Pick hocks with unbroken skin and a clean cut through the bone; splintered ends cloud the broth.
Which one to buy
- Better forLeg : Hock & trotter
- CuringLeg92 : —
- RoastingLeg80 : 62
- Braised in soyLeg68 : —
- BraisingHock & trotter— : 92
- Bone brothHock & trotter— : 85
Other comparisons
All cuts
Beef Primals
Chicken Portions
Bluefin Tuna Cuts
Temperatures are guidance for whole-muscle cuts. Ground meat and poultry need 71°C / 160°F throughout.