You have half a pig. Now what?

Every cut, the short way to cook it, and the two numbers that matter.

63 °C

for chops, roasts and every whole cut (145 °F), measured with a thermometer. Then let it rest for three minutes.⁶

71 °C

for anything ground: mince and sausage (160 °F).⁷

Pink is fine

Pork cooked to 63 °C and rested can still be pink in the middle, and it is safe to eat.⁷

Buy a probe thermometer. It costs less than one pack of chops, and it is the difference between juicy pork and dry pork.

Cut by cut

A hot pan or a grill, a few minutes on each side. Take them off at 63 °C and rest them. Most dry chops were cooked that way out of fear.

Thick chops forgive you. Thin ones cook in a blink.

The leanest and quickest cut on the pig. Sear it whole and finish it gently, or slice it for a stir-fry.

Never past 63 °C.

Slow. A low oven or a covered pot for hours, until it pulls apart with a fork. It is also the best meat on the pig for mince.

Low heat, long time.

Cook it slowly first, then finish hot to crackle the skin. For Thai crispy pork, simmer the piece, dry the skin very well, then roast or fry it hard.

Dry skin makes the crackle.

Low heat and patience, then a hot finish with whatever you like to brush on. Cut into pieces, they go straight into soup.

A lean roast, so do not take it far past 63 °C. Sliced thin across the grain it stir-fries, and ground it makes lean mince.

Marinate it, grill it over charcoal, and slice it across the grain. This is kho mu yang, and it is the best thing on the pig.

Leave the fat on.

Braise them for hours with soy sauce, garlic and star anise until the skin is soft. This is the cut for kha mu.

Simmer the bones for broth. Cut the back fat small and melt it slowly for lard, then strain it into a jar.

Sausage is ground meat, so cook it through to 71 °C. Start bacon in a cold pan and let the fat come out slowly.

We quote every order, because the price moves with the pig. Nothing is charged on this site.