Meat cuts from the pig? what is the best piece?
Even American chefs like the well-known TV chef Anthony Bourdain love pork, juicy ribs or crunchy crispy knuckles at any time preferring a beef steak. How to make the best out of pig, that pig is not the same pig and which part of the pig is suitable for what? Here is a small compilation.
Pork meat ? Which piece for what?
1. head / cheek
Do not say yuck! Meat of pig's head is just meat? and one more with a lot of taste. It is reasonably priced and can be used for savory stews or stews. Also in Sülzen it is often used. The lower part of the head, the pork cheek, is cured and cooked to a delicious, hearty snack.
2. neck / neck / comb
The pork neck, also called comb or neck, fortunately is quite cheap and is wrongly disregarded as rather inferior. He is extensively pervaded with fat and therefore is not on the menu for many. The fat, however, makes for juicy, tasty roasts, where you can do almost nothing wrong. Braising, grilling, frying, in one piece or in slices, as a goulash or in a stew, wonderful from the roast foil - pork neck is the all-rounder piece. One gets neck in one piece with and without bones or in slices, here is still the bone off, it is called neck or comb chop. Even when Kasseler, so cured and slightly smoked, convinced the neck by its juiciness.
3. Back / chop / Kasseler
The back is with the tenderest piece of pig, quite lean and therefore more demanding in the preparation. From the back one wins chops, without bones back steaks. As butterfly steaks, so cut along almost completely, so that unfolded results in a butterfly shape, you can fill them wonderful, for example, as Cordon Bleu. Back can also be prepared as a roast, but must therefore be very careful that the lean piece is not too dry.
3a back fat
Back fat is just that: fat, also called green bacon, when it is fresh and untreated. Even the wonderful Italian Lardo is won from back fat. Green bacon is great for picking, you can omit it and gain lard it out, it serves some pies as a shell and gives to lean meat dough the necessary fat addition.
4th fillet
Do not you have to say much? the best piece. you can wonderfully prepare the piece, in any case, you should make sure that the filet is pared clean, so the bluish tendon was cut away. On the piece, fry the filet all around well in butter lard and then put it for 25 minutes at 150 ° C in the oven. Take it out, let it rest for a few minutes and then cut it diagonally. It gets even better if you wrap it in thin belly bacon before searing!
5. Club / ham
Ham meat makes a wonderful roast pork, but since it is also quite lean, it is recommended to leave thin layer of fat on the meat during cooking and to remove only on the plate or before serving. Then the roast tastes stronger and it stays juicy. The hind leg is usually cut into four sections:
5a hip / bacon
Perfect for everything: roast, schnitzel, steaks, goulash, fondue.
5b nut / flower / ball
Lean and tender, that can be fried or stewed. Roast and schnitzel are great, even for fondue is nut suitable.
5c lower shell
The lower shell gives the best roast, but can also be cut as Schnitzel.
5d upper shell
The lean upper shell is the classic Schnitzellieferant. But also roast (beware dryness!), Stews and fondues can be prepared.
6. Pork breast / thick rib
The pork breast is quite coarse-grained, therefore needs relatively long cooking times, but can be prepared in any way. Mainly it is used as goulash, ribs or in hearty stews.
7th shoulder / bow
The bow has a thick, juicy rind, so it makes you like the delicious crust roast. The butcher also offers it without rind, then it has a relatively low fat content. In any case, it gives juicy roast, delicious braised and excellent goulash.
8. belly
The pork belly is well-grown and is suitable for cooking, roasting or stewing. Belly is there with or without bones? With the ribs you have the classic spare ribs. More meat content and more tenderness have the Babybackribs, these are the rib bones from the cutlet between back and belly.
9. Hocke / Eisbein
The lower part of the pig legs are? Nature? (Known as Haxe in Southern Germany) and cured (mostly in the north under the name Eisbein). Incidentally, the name Eisbein comes from the fact that our ancestors tied these long bones under their feet to overcome icy rivers and lakes. a forerunner of ice skates!
10. paws
Pigs' feet give more stew to stews and have always been used in the production of jellies, especially when gelatin was not yet available.
The pig today, yesterday and tomorrow
Modern high-performance pigs have 16 instead of 12 ribs, grow very fast and have 50% less bacon than their ancestors. The muscles are less permeated with fat (marbled). Since this naturally has an influence on the taste (fat is finally an important flavor carrier) there has been a return to old, normal, fat pigs in recent years. The most important ones currently available:
Iberico
Small black pigs fed in Spain mainly with acorns of cork oak and have a lot of movement.
Duroc
An originally from America breeding, which is currently held a lot in Spain. Extremely marbled meat that melts on the tongue.
Mangalitza (Hungarian Wool Pig)
Heavily hairy, incredibly fat and incredibly tasty. Who can get Mangalitza products: Buy!
Porc Fermier
A pig that is allowed to live outdoors in France.
Schwäbisch-Hällische Landschwein
An old house pig breed from the Hohenloher country, which one recognizes at its characteristic black and white coloring. Tasty, strong pork.
Colorful Bentheimer pig / Bentheimer Landschwein
An old, spotted breed from the Emsland. High proportion of bacon and beautiful marbling.
