Anyway, one of the things people disregard when buying pork is which cut suits the dish. People just identify parts of pork as "laman" or meat, "buto-buto" or ribs, "pata" or legs and "ulo" or head. There's more to meat that meets the eyes. We, Filipinos, actually consume the whole pig, minus the bones, from the skin to the innards. I found this chart in the internet. A lot of the cuts here cannot be found in our local market. But if you got to the supermarket and other meatshops, like Monterey, I'm sure they have most of the cuts in the chart below.
1. The shoulder part is where the "kasim" is found. I like this part because it has the right amount of fat making it a little tender than the leg. I use this part for stews (cooked for an hour or so), barbeque on stick (sliced thinly), etc. Examples:
- Binagoongang baboy
- Menudo
- Asado
- Humba
- Adobo
2. The loin is what we call "lomo". It is the most tender part of the pork since it is the least used muscle compared to other parts. Examples:
- Sweet and sour
- Pork steak
- Pork chops
3. The belly part is the part with the highest fat content. This is where the more familiar streaky bacon comes from. Examples:
- Inihaw na liempo
- Litsong kawali
- Sinigang na baboy (although some use the kasim)
- Roasted ribs
4. The leg is also called the pigue. It is the leanest part of the pork but also the toughest. This is the ideal part to be used in ground pork. We can also used this for other recipes but this part needs to be cooked longer to make the meat tender. We can cook this the same way we cook kasim.
5. The legs, head and innards. Some take these for granted! Tsk, tsk, tsk!
- Pata tim
- Paksiw na pata
- Crispy pata
- Tokwa't baboy
- Crispy tenga
- Sisig
- Lengua
- Dinuguan
- Brain omelette (yes, it is edible!)
The next time you buy pork, try to buy the most ideal cut for the dish!
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