Side by side
Shoulder
Boston butt · collar · spare rib roast
The upper foreleg and neck, a bundle of small muscles held together by generous seams of fat and connective tissue. That structure makes it almost impossible to overcook slowly, which is why every barbecue tradition on earth converged on this one cut for pulled pork.
Choose a piece with visible fat seams running through the middle, not just a cap on the outside.
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.
Which one to buy
- Better forShoulder : Leg
- Slow roastingShoulder95 : —
- StewsShoulder82 : —
- GrillingShoulder60 : —
- CuringLeg— : 92
- RoastingLeg— : 80
- Braised in soyLeg— : 68
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.