I gotta admit, there were a lot of pork cuts I was unfamiliar with or unsure how to prepare. However, we are really finding value in making sure nothing goes to waste and learning how to use the whole animal, organ meat and all.
Not only is purchasing pork in bulk cost effective, it’s also reassuring to know that you’ve got a stocked freezer that you can shop out of weekly. Plus, you know how the animal is raised and you have that connection to your farmer & your food.
In this blog, we will walk you through what comes in a half pig and some simple ideas for how to prepare each cut. We hope you enjoy!
This is roughly what comes in a half pig from us:
12 lb pork chops
4-5 lb ribs (2 half racks)
8 lb smoked and cured bacon
6-8 lb boston butt (2 roasts)
6-8lb picnic shoulder roasts (2 roasts)
4-5lb bone-in ham steaks (2 steaks)
2-4lb ham roast (1 roast)
1 tenderloin
4 lb neckbones (great for pork tacos and broth for tortilla soup!)
2-3 lb smoked ham hocks
22 lb ground pork or sausage
5 lb Ground organ meat
3.5lb lard (2 tubs)
Chops
These come in packs of 2 bone-in chops and our favorite way to cook these is pan-seared in cast iron with a little bacon fat. We cook until just done (145 degrees F) so they remain moist, yum! Make sure to rest for 2-3 minutes after cooking before slicing. These are also great on the grill!
Ribs
We love dry rubs for ribs as we aren’t huge sauce people. We love using spices such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne, black pepper and maybe even a little brown sugar. You get two half racks with a half pig and each rack should feed around 2-4. Here’s an easy oven-baked recipe!
Bacon
You can NEVER go wrong with bacon! This comes in 16 oz. packs so around 12-14 slices per pack. Our favorite way to cook bacon is on foil on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 400-425 degrees. It makes for easy clean up, plus you don’t have to get splattered with hot fat!
Once cooked to our liking, we remove the bacon onto a plate covered in paper towel until cool. We also pour the bacon fat into a container to store in the fridge. We use this for scrambled eggs, pan searing pork chops or chicken legs, and even sautéing veggies in, yum! Here’s our blog about why fat from pasture raised pigs actually has some health benefits.
You’ll also get about 1 pack of bacon pieces which are the ends that didn’t fit perfectly in the slices. These are great for pasta dishes or anything that calls for bacon chunks or pieces. They also make great homemade bacon bits. Simply dice, fry over medium heat until crispy and drain on paper towels. You can even freeze them for future use!
Boston Butt
Boston Butts make delicious pulled pork! Joe and I like to keep things simple and we’ll literally throw one in the crockpot with a splash of water or bone broth, sprinkle with salt & pepper and cook on low for about 8 hours until fall-off-the-bone tender. Here’s a great recipe if you wanna get a little more fancy.
Picnic Shoulder Roast
You’ll receive 2 of these wonderful roasts. This comes from the shoulder but further down the foreleg than the Boston Butt, so a little leaner and less tender. This is wonderful roasted in the oven, here’s a great recipe: Slow Cooker Picnic Roast.
Ham
You’ll receive a ham roast and 2 ham steaks. Ham roasts are wonderful oven roasted for the holidays or even to cook and freeze portions for easy ham sandwiches. Ham steaks are delicious pan-seared or on the grill. You get to choose what suits you’re family best!
If you prefer fresh ham roast or steak, check out these two recipes:
Crock Pot Ham Steaks & Gravy
Oven Roasted Fresh Ham
You could even brine your ham roast first by soaking in salt water for juicier, more tender and flavorful meat. For a 3lb fresh ham, dissolve 3/4 c. salt in a large pot filled with enough water to completely cover the steak/roast. Let ham soak covered in the fridge for no more than 6 hours. Remove from the fridge, rinse, pat dry and then cook following recipe instructions.
Tenderloin
It originally shocked me that you only get 1 tenderloin per half pig, but this little cut is soooo amazing. It’s obviously tender, hence the name, and here’s a simple recipe to prepare it.
Neck Bones
We love taking these, throwing them in the crockpot with some water or broth and slow cooking them for 6-8 hours or until falling off the bones. Then, we remove & shred the meat for pork tacos. Save the broth for some tortilla soup!
Here’s another great idea, Southern Style Neck Bones.
Ham Hocks
You can either get these fresh or smoked. They’re delicious to flavor beans, soups & stews. They’re also pretty meaty so you can shred meat off and add to your dish as well. The smoked hocks add another layer of deliciousness to your meal!
Lard
You can use this in place of most fats/oils you already cook with. I love using it to cook eggs, steaks, pork chops and even for roasting potatoes and veggies. Lard from pastured pigs actually has some wonderful health benefits as well! Read more about that and ideas for how to cook with it here.
Sausage
You can choose to get our bulk sausage (mild/hot/italian) or our premium sausages for a small additional fee - chorizo, brats, italian links, kielbasa, andouille, maple, or smoked bell pepper & onion. We share various uses for each flavor and some of our family’s favorite ways to prepare them in a blog post here.
Ground Organ Meat
We really encourage everyone to consider this even if you don’t have a pet. It’s part of your half pig and we don’t want it to go to waste. Consider giving it to a friend with a pet. Organ meat is full of nutrients and dogs & cats love them! OR if you’re brave, you can totally mix in 1/4 cup or so with your sausage for some extra nutrients.
We hope this was helpful to help you visualize what comes in a half pig and how you can prepare each cut. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions! Or tell us your favorite pork recipes, we’re always open to learning new ways to prepare our meats.