Pork Roasts

The most common and popular roasts come from the center-cut pork loin, sold bone in or boneless, in various size pieces. Loin (particularly from commodity pork) can be lean, so if you plan to cook beyond my recommended temperatures of 135°F to 140°F,I recommend flavor-brining first to preserve juiciness. However, heirloom breeds and pasture-raised pigs raised on smaller farms often produce better-marbled loins and can be roasted with excellent results without flavor-brining.

Roasts from the blade end of the loin and the Boston butt have more fat and make excellent candidates for the oven. They can be roasted—long and slow—until well- done and produce succulent results.

For small groups, pork tenderloin makes a nice roast, as does the small boneless sirloin roast. If you have purchased commodity pork, flavor-brine it first. For large groups and special occasions, look to fresh hams (leg of pork), bought whole or in halves. The flavor of leg meat is excellent. Some purveyors provide roasts made from boned-out individual leg muscles; these make great alternatives to the more common loin roasts when you’re cooking for a smaller group.

PORK ROAST AT A GLANCE

FROM THE LOIN:

• Blade Roast, bone in (blade-end pork loin roast, pork blade roast): Ample fat and good flavor. Can be roasted or braised. A good value.
• Blade Roast, boneless (chef’s prime roast): More fat, nice juicy roast and usually affordably priced.
• Top Loin Roast, boneless (pork loin roast, center-cut pork loin roast): Quick to cook and easy to slice. Best flavor-brined unless well marbled.
• Tenderloin: Very lean. Usually sold two to a package. Easy to grill-roast. Best to flavor-brine. Expensive but no waste.
• Top Loin Double Roast, boneless (double pork loin roast, boneless pork roast): Ideal for larger groups, and you can place a stuffing between the two sections.
• Sirloin Roast, boneless (sirloin end roast): Small, lean roast. Best to flavor-brine.

FROM THE SHOULDER:

• Blade Boston Butt Roast, bone in (pork shoulder butt, fresh pork butt, Boston butt, Boston shoulder, pork butt roast, Boston-style butt): Old-fashioned long, slow-cooked roast. Can be roasted, braised, or barbecued. Juicy, flavorful, and a great buy.
• Blade Boston Roast, boneless (boneless Boston Butt, boneless pork shoulder roast, rolled butt roast, butt roast, Boston roast): Same as bone-in blade Boston roast. Sold as whole, half, or in pieces. Should be tied or netted.
• Arm Picnic, bone in (fresh picnic, picnic shoulder, picnic): Must be roasted or barbecued long and slow to almost falling off the bone. Ideal for braising. Very inexpensive with great flavor.
• Arm Picnic, boneless (boneless fresh picnic, boneless picnic, picnic shoulder): Same as arm picnic, bone in. Great roast to cut up for stew.

FROM THE LEG:

• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), whole, bone in (whole leg of pork): Weighing 15 to 20 pounds, this makes a spectacular roast for large groups. Inexpensive, with great meaty flavor. May need to be special-ordered.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), boneless: Sold whole or half. Ideal for buffets or roasts for larger groups. May need to be special-ordered.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), rump half, bone in (butt half fresh ham, pork leg sirloin half, pork leg butt, fresh ham butt): Weighs 7 to 10 pounds. May need to be special-ordered.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), shank half, bone in (shank half, shank roast, shank end half, shank end of fresh ham, leg roast shank half): Weighs 7 to 10 pounds. Easier to carve than the rump half. May need to be special-ordered.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), top roast, boneless (pork inside roast, pork top round roast): Lean but tender. At 3 to 5 pounds, a great roast for 4 to 8 people. Should be tied or netted.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), bottom roast, boneless (pork outside roast, pork bottom round): At 4 to 6 pounds, a great roast for 6 to 9 people. A little leaner than the top (inside) roast. Should be tied or netted.
• Pork Leg (Fresh Ham), tip roast, boneless (sirloin tip roast, pork knuckle roast):At 3 to 4 pounds, a lean and compact roast when netted or tied.