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.
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 forShoulder : Hock & trotter
- Slow roastingShoulder95 : —
- StewsShoulder82 : —
- GrillingShoulder60 : —
- BraisingHock & trotter— : 92
- Bone brothHock & trotter— : 85
- RoastingHock & trotter— : 62
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.