FROM THE HIND LEG

Fresh pork leg, also known as fresh ham, is the uncured hind leg of the hog. Like cured ham, fresh leg of pork/fresh ham is available either bone-in or boneless and may be purchased whole or halved. Fresh ham also may be cut into rump (from near the sirloin), shank (lower leg portion) or center portions. The whole bone-in leg weighs between 15 and 25 pounds and includes the shank and leg bones.

Cured ham is leg meat that has been dry- or wet-cured. Because the leg muscle is a well-exercised part of the hog, ham is surprisingly low in fat.

Joe's features John Morrell E-Z-Cut hams. E-Z-Cut hams are dry-cured, with no water added. They are prepared the old-fashioned way; slowly cooked and hardwood smoked for twice as long as most hams. You can count on E-Z-Cut hams to be more tender, flavorful, premium-quality hams.  E-Z-Cut hams are not only lean, but also full of old-fashioned flavor that turns any meal into a celebration.

E-Z-Cut includes boneless hams and bone-in hams that are available in a variety of sizes.  For over 40 years, E-Z-Cut has received the Good Housekeeping Award for quality.

FROM THE FOREQUARTER (SHOULDER)

The upper part of the shoulder, known as Boston Butt, comes from the area near the loin and contains the shoulder blade bone. It is a well-marbled cut which can be pot-roasted whole, cut up for stews or cooked over moist smoke in a smoker to transform it into classic pulled pork barbecue.

It is available at Joe’s either bone-in (averaging six to nine pounds) or boneless (averaging four to seven pounds).

The lower ‘arm’ portion of the shoulder is most commonly called the Picnic Shoulder.  This cut is available either as fresh pork or the popular “Smoked Shoulder”.  Either way, it’s a delicious and versatile, as well as economical cut.

Pork shoulder also is often used in making ground pork.

FROM THE LOIN

Pork chops are the most popular cut from the pork loin, which is the strip of meat that runs from the pig’s hip to shoulder. Depending on where they originate, pork chops can be found under a variety of names, including loin, rib, sirloin, top loin and blade chops.

Loin chops are from the lower back (just behind the rib chop) and have a characteristic T-bone shape. These chops include a lot of meat as well as a bit of tenderloin meat. Rib chops originate in the center of the loin in the rib area and include some back and rib bone.  Top loin chops are located above the loin chops, toward the head. These are called "center-cut pork chops"

The loin roast comes from the area of the pig between the shoulder and the beginning of the leg. It is sold either bone-in or deboned. Loin roasts with a bone tend to be juicier and more flavorful, but the bone can make carving a bit tricky.

Loin roast is sometimes confused with tenderloin. Despite the name similarity, they are not one in the same. A loin roast is typically sold in pieces weighing between 2 to 4 pounds (the tenderloin is a smaller, long cut that usually weighs about a pound).

Pork loin roasts should not be braised or stewed but oven baked at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes per pound... or an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Crown roast is an attractive special-occasion entrée created using a pork rib roast/rack of pork that is tied into a circle, ribs up. Joe’s expert butchers will trim the tough meat away from the end of each rib so that the bone is exposed, a technique called “Frenching”, which makes for a classic presentation.

Back ribs originate from the blade and center section of the pork loin, which is known for the “finger meat” between the bones. Back ribs also are referred to as “baby” back ribs because they are smaller than spareribs. A rack typically weighs between 1 ½ and 1 ¾ pounds.