Carne Suina

In the past the breeding of the pig was finalized above all to the production of ham, lard and sausages. Recently in Italy the breeders have diversified the production of the pork in two destinations:
- the production of pigs for fattening of the weight of 150- 200 Kg and more, for the preparation of charcuterie; - the production of the so-called "magroni", pigs at premature development (of inferior weight to the quintal) that are slaughtered at 5-6 months and that supply tender meats, with a fat content comparable to the the bovine meats ones.

Sucking pig	It is a small pig, male or female, of 5-6 weeks, only nourished with milk (the so-called roast sucking pig). It has tender meats, rosy, with a light milk taste.
Pig	Castrated female or male. Red-rosy meats, doughy consistency, velvety aspect and the finest grain. Abundant fat deposits under the skin (lard, bacon, guanciale) and around the visceri (pork fat, lard).
Sow	It is the female that has given birth. Dark heavy grain meats.
Boar	Destined male to the reproduction, of age superior to 8 months. The meats, of dark red color, have an unpleasant smell.

If the pork are commercialized after the slaughtering, without an adequate hanging process it is suitable to keep them some days in the refrigerator before cooking them in order to improve tenderness and juicity. It is advisable to consume the pork always well done in order to avoid the risk of internal parasatisms.
- To the grill . For pork chops, steaks (of loin, filets, shoulder)
- Roast . The baking in furnace supplies meats more tender than the ones on fire ( the pork are tendentially drier than the bovine ones). The shoulder, the filets, the loin, the cutlets and the leg are to be roasted.
- Stewed. The loin, the leg, the shoulder, "piedini" and the head are the more indicated cuts for the preparation of stews, braised and boiled meats.
- In the fats. The most tender cuts like the nodini, the filets, the loin, the pork chops are adapted to the fry.

Main cuts of the fresh pork after the adequate hanging process, suitable to the baking.
CUT	DESCRIPTION
Filet	From the extremity of the shoulder to the first rib. It corresponds to the filet of the bovine. Valuable cut, of intense red color, tender and lean.
Loin or sirloin	It corresponds to the controfillet of the bovine.
Shoulder ( Carrè )	It is the prosecution of sirloin in the region of the back ( the front part of the back). Cutting into slices the cutlets and the nodini are gained. It can be boned and roasted entire ( artist ).
Leg	The delicate meats, usually destined to the production of the ham, are introduced also to being cooked fresh, entire, roast or on the spit.
Shoulder	It is generally used for cooked charcuterie but it is optimal also for roasted or stewed bakings.
Cutlets or needles	It is the final part of the ribs after taking the flesh off in order to gain the meats to be stuffed. Economic cut, obviously poor of meat and rich of connectives. Very tasty if cooked to the grill, they appear in many regional plates.
Piedini	The legs, without nails and used for stuffing the meats (zampone). They are cooked with all the rinds and therefore they must be freed of the fat with an extended boiling process.
Testina o musetto	Little valuable cut; it can be stewed or boiled and it demands long baking like the feet. It is generally destined to the preparation of soppressate, Bologna sausages and other typical charcuterie.
Guanciale	Gained from the neck it is less fat and more delicate of the lard. Used, fresh or salty, in regional plates like the amatriciana sauce and the muset and brovade.
Bacon	Obtained from the stomach of the pig it has a thickness of fat inferior to the lard one and a greater muscular tissue content either than the lard one or the"guanciale" one. Used fresh or salty and/or filled with smoke in order to season numerous recipes.