Pork for barbecue

In many parts of the United States -- primarily the Carolinas -- barbecue means only one thing:  pork.  In fact, the Eastern North Carolina, traditional barbecue means whole hog alone.

These pages will explore the art of the pork and pork barbecue.  These pages will explore the many variations of pork barbecue, including:

• Whole hog
• Shoulder (including the picnic and butt)
• Ribs (including spare, loin and country style ribs)
• Other cuts of pork (including loin, ham, etc.)

Whole hog

Hogs are central to traditional, authentic barbecue, as practiced in the United States for generations.  Many barbecue veterans maintain that eastern North Carolina whole hog barbecue is the only "real" American barbecue.  Whether or not this is true, the fact is that whole hog barbecue is an incomparable American experience.

Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder includes the entire fore-shoulder and its two component parts:  the upper half of the shoulder, which is called the Boston butt (or just butt), and the lower half, which is called the picnic.

Note for novices:  yes, the butt comes from the front end of the hog, and the ham comes from the back end.

All three cuts -- whole shoulder, butt and picnic -- are used for barbecue.  They can be cooked to the stage where they can be sliced, pulled or chopped.

Pork ribs

When barbecue cooks use the word ribs, they mean pork.  They do not mean beef ribs (marketed as short ribs or the ribs of any other animal).

There are two real types of ribs, and one "almost" type:

• Spare ribs are cut from the belly of the hog, behind the shoulders.  They are very juicy and tender.
• Loin ribs (which are also called back ribs) are cut from the loin section.  If they are from a young pig or piglet, they are called baby back ribs.  Loin ribs are much leaner (less fatty) than spare ribs, so they are meatier but also chewier.
• The "almost" ribs are the country style ribs.  They are not true ribs and are cut from the blade end of the loin, right behind the shoulder.  They are very meaty and less marbled than real ribs.

Other cuts

Other pork cuts used in barbecue are the loin, ham (which is the back leg of the hog) and other cuts.

Related information:

• Whole Hog barbecue
• BBQ FAQ on barbecue ribs
• Hog description
• Whole Shoulder
• Boston Butt
• Picnic
• Description of these cuts
• Good pork brochure
• Trichinosis in pork