Organic/ Natural Pork: Standard Cuts
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig (Sus domesticus), which is eaten in many countries. The word pork denotes specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but it is often mistakenly used as an all-inclusive term which includes cured, smoked, or processed meats (ham, bacon, sausages, etc.) It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, accounting for about 38% of meat production worldwide, although consumption varies widely from place to place. Pork is eaten in various forms, including cooked, cured or smoked or a combination of these methods. It is also a common ingredient of sausages.
Fabrication of carcass into primal and sub-primal cuts is essential for commercial marketing. Portioning of carcass into specific cuts allows fetching better returns from the sale of primal cuts. This chapter describes the steps in fabrication of pig carcasses into different primal and sub-primal cuts viz. Ham, loin, belly, picnic shoulder, boston butt, spare ribs, jowl and tenderloin.
Standard cuts of pork and their fabrication procedure
Ham/Leg:Â The ham is separated from the side by a straight cut approximately perpendicular to a line parallel to the shank bones. The cut passes through a point which is not less than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and not more than 3.5 inches (8.8 cm) from the anterior edge of the aitch bone. The foot shall be removed at or slightly above the hock joint.
Fig. 1. Diagrammatic representation of standard pork cuts for commercial fabrication
Fig. 2. Pork side primal diagram- with respective bone demarkation for portioning
The tail, vertebrae, rectus abdominis, cutaneous trunci, prefemoral lymph gland, and any other exposed lymph glands shall be removed. The skin and collar fat over the semimembranosus shall be smooth and well rounded such that the innermost curvature of the skin is trimmed back at least half the distance from the stifle joint to the posterior edge of the aitch bone. The skin overlying the medial side of the quadriceps femoris shall be removed and fat overlying the quadriceps femoris and pelvic area shall be removed close to the lean.
Picnic shoulder: The picnic shoulder is separated from the side by a straight cut, approximately perpendicular to the length of the side, posterior to, but not more than1.0 inch (25 mm) from, the tip of the elbow and shall not expose the elbow. The outer tip of the subscapularis muscle shall not extend past the dorsal edge of the base of the medial ridge of the blade bone. The foot shall be removed at or slightly above to the upper knee joint by a straight cut approximately perpendicular to the shank bones. The jowl shall be removed by a straight cut approximately parallel with the loin side that is anterior to, but not more than 1.0 inch (25 mm) from the innermost curvature of the ear dip. The neck bones, ribs, breastbones, associated cartilage, and breast flap (through the major crease) shall be removed. The fat and skin shall be beveled to meet the lean on the dorsal edge.
Boston butt: The shoulder is separated from the side by a straight cut, approximately perpendicular to the length of the side, posterior to, but not more than1.0 inch (25 mm) from, the tip of the elbow and shall not expose the elbow and the picnic is removed as described above. The outer tip of the subscapularis muscle shall not extend past the dorsal edge of the base of the medial ridge of the blade bone. The foot shall be removed at or slightly above to the upper knee joint by a straight cut approximately perpendicular to the shank bones. The jowl shall be removed by a straight cut approximately parallel with the loin side that is anterior to, but not more than 1.0 inch (25 mm) from the innermost curvature of the ear dip. At least traces of false lean shall be exposed. When specified, the neck shall be removed by a straight cut approximately parallel to the loin side, immediately anterior to the pectorals profundus.
Belly/ Bacon: The belly is prepared from the side after removal of the leg, shoulder, loin, fat back, and spareribs. All bones and cartilage shall be removed. Practically all leaf fat shall be removed. The fat back shall be removed by a straight cut not more than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from the outermost dorsal curvature of scribe line. The anterior (shoulder) and posterior (ham) ends of the belly shall be reasonably straight and parallel. No side of the belly shall be more than 2.0 inches (5.0 cm) longer than its opposing side. The width of the rectus abdominis (flank muscle) shall be at least 25percent of the width of the belly on the leg end. The fat on the ventral side of the belly and adjacent to the flank shall be trimmed to within 3/4 inch (19 mm) from the lean. The area ventral to the scribe line shall be free of scores and “snowballs” (exposed areas of fat) which measure 3.0 square inches or more. The belly shall be free of enlarged, soft, porous, dark, or seedy mammary tissue.
Loin: The loin is that portion of the side remaining after removal of the shoulder, leg, belly, and fat back leaving a portion of the blade bone, its overlying lean and fat, not less than two sacral, but no caudal vertebrae on the loin. The shoulder and ham shall be separated from the loin by straight cuts that are reasonably perpendicular to the split surface of the backbone. The outer tip of subscapularis muscle shall not extend past the center of the base of the medial ridge of the blade bone. The belly side shall be removed by a straight cut which extends from a point which is ventral to but not more than 3.0 inches (7.5cm) from the longissimus on the shoulder end, to a point on the leg end ventral to but not more than 1/2 inch from the tenderloin. Surface fat shall be trimmed to an average of 1/4 inch in depth or less except in the hip bone area. The hip bone area is defined as the area contained within two parallel lines, 2.0 inches on either side of the anterior end of the hip bone and associated cartilage. Fat in the hipbone area shall be trimmed to the same contour as the rest of the trimmed fat surface of the loin. At least 2.0 inches of the false lean shall be exposed. Lumbar and pelvic fat shall be trimmed to 1/2 inch or less in depth. The tenderloin shall be separated intact. The diaphragm and hanging tender shall be removed. The spinal cord groove shall be evident on at least 75 percent of the vertebrae.
Sparerib: Spareribs shall contain at least 11 ribs and associated costal cartilages and may include portions of the sternum and diaphragm. The membranous portion of the diaphragm must be removed close to the lean. Any portion of the diaphragm not firmly attached shall be removed close to the inside surface of the ribs. The lean shall not extend more than 2.0 inches past the curvature of the last rib and costal cartilage. Heart fat on the inside surface of the ribs shall not exceed 1/4 inch (6 mm) average depth. Leaf fat over the diaphragm and transverse abdominis shall be trimmed practically free.
Tender loin: This item is prepared from loin. The tenderloin shall be removed intact and shall consist of the psoas major, psoas minor, and iliacus only. The side strip muscle (psoas minor) shall be removed if not firmly attached. The anterior portion (tail end) shall be trimmed so that the tail is not split more than 1.0 inch. The tenderloin shall be practically free of fat.
Standard shoulder square cuts
Standard middle cuts
Standard middle cuts