Pork

Bacon is simply meat from the sides and belly of the animal that has been cured and smoked with Hickory wood. Do we really have to tell you how to use bacon? Fry it up with eggs and hashbrowns; wrap chicken breasts with it and throw it on the grill; season you favorite pot of beans–the variations are endless!

Bacon ends are essentially the same as bacon slices–they are cured and Hickory-smoked– the difference is that bacon ends are taken from a part of the animal that make it difficult to cut into to thin strips. It’s a great way to enjoy the same flavor at a more economical price point. Use them to season other dishes, or slice them into smaller pieces and fry them up.

Bologna is a large, smoked seasoned sausages comprised from various cuts of the animal. It is sliced into thin pieces that are excellent on sandwiches or fried up with breakfast.

City Ham is another cut of cured meat that is ready to eat as soon as you open the package and heat it up. It’s delicious on sandwiches, as a breakfast side, or, sliced up and placed in the center of a holiday meal.

Hot dogs are simply Vienna sausages or frankfurters (from which the word “franks” is derived). Hot dogs consist of meat, often off-cuts, that are taken from various places on the animal. Our hot dogs are cured and ready to eat right out of the package. Throw them on the grill at a tailgate or slice them up and feed them to your kids as a snack. 

Jowls are cuts of meat that comes from the cheek of the animal. Our jowls come smoked and unsmoked and add delicious flavor to a variety of dishes, from fried jowls and turnip greens to the classic Hoppin John dishes that are customarily served around New Year’s.

A Pork Chop is a cut of meat that is sliced off of the loin of the animal, perpendicular to the spine. Depending on where the chop is sliced, some will contain a rib and almost look like a T-Bone Steak, while others might be more round and resemble a Tenderloin. All of our Pork Chops are truly delectable: the best (and easiest) way to prepare them is be dry-brining them with salt at least one hour before braising: the salt will break down the muscle tissue and unlock tons of flavor!

A St. Louis Style Rib is simply a Spare Rib that has been trimmed; the breastbone, cartilage, and skirt are removed, and most of the flap meat on the back removed. BBQ fanatics prefer this cut because it looks a bit neater, is easier to eat, and because you can fit more onto the grill because of its uniform shape. The best way to prepare is on the grill over low/medium heat, ideally wrapping each rib in foil to lock in the sauce and fats that percolate and give it that melt-in-your-mouth flavor.

Baby Back Ribs are taken from the part of the animal where the rib meets the spine after the loin is removed. No, these ribs do not come from baby pigs; rather, they are cut from the upper ribs of the animal which are shorter than the lower, spare ribs. Baby Back Ribs are more tender than Spare or St. Louis Style ribs which make them the premium rib cut on a pig. Our favorite way to prepare them is on the grill with your liberal amounts of your favorite BBQ sauce. 

Spare Ribs are the largest rib cut on the animal which has all of the fat and other trimmings in tact (in other words, they haven’t been trimmed into St. Louis Style Ribs). To enjoy their succulenct potential, we recommend cooking them low and slow, smoking, braising, grilling, or even by laying a tin foil sheet on top of a baking pan and throwing them in the oven.

Pork Shanks are taken from from the lower portion of the ham (the back thighs and leg region of the animal). Braising and cooking at low heat is the surest way to bring out the full, fall-of-the-bone flavor of Shanks.  

The Tenderloin–as with all quadrapeds–is the delicious, long strip of meat that runs along the spine of the animal. It derives its name from the “tenderness” of the meat in a non-working muscle. We sell Tenderloins whole and as small “medallion” slices. Medallions are a delicious side to an individual meal, or on a biscuit or sandwich. When roasted in the oven, a whole Tenderloin makes an excellent centerpiece to a meal for 4-6.

Andouille Sausage is a Cajun delicacy that is believed to have come to New Orleans by way of France or Germany. The Cajun seasoning gives it a little spice. Our favorite way to prepare it is by frying it up with onions and serving with beans and other veggies.

Bratwurst Links are one of the most popular sausages–even cuts!–that we sell. Members often tell us that our Bratwurst is a family favorite that is truly distinctive from anything that they’ve tried in the store before. Bratwurst comes from Germany and is best fried and served with fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, or thrown on the grill and wedged inside of a good bun that will do it justice. 

Everyone loves finger links (especially kids!) These are small sausage links stuffed with mild breakfast sausage. Fry them up with eggs for breakfast or…breakfast for dinner!

Maple breakfast finger links are stuffed with mild breakfast sausage with real maple syrup flavoring. 

Mild Italian Sausage Links are larger links, four to a pack, with Italian seasoning. They are great on the grill or to slice up and toss in with pasta. 

Polish Kielbasa Links are a fan favorite. They are packaged in four larger links to a pack and are delicious when grilled or fried up and served with sauteed onions and fermented foods like sauerkraut.

Breakfast Patties come eight to a pack and are simply pre-pattied Mild Breakfast Sausage. They’re great for serving a large group of hungry people when it’s helpful to shave off any extra steps that you can.

Mild Breakfast Sausage is one of our best sellers. It is a classic, versatile sausage that comes in a one-pound package. Add it to coal miners gravy and serve it on top of biscuits, make patties and put it in between a biscuit, or mix it into your favorite breakfast casserole recipe.

Chorizo is one of those defining items that we sell. Many members tell us that they will never forget the first time they ate our Chorizo and they make sure to add it to their order every month. It is simply a sausage with mild hot sauce mixed with a blend of seasonings that gives such personality to a taco, burrito, enchilada–you name it!

Sometimes, in the middle of the week, when we haven’t planned far enough ahead for dinner, we’ll reach for the Mild Italian Bulk Sausage, thaw it quickly in a bowl of warm water, then form meatballs that we roast in the oven and dump on top of a bowl of Spaghetti. It will make you look like a culinary genius. 

The Picnic Roast is one of the shoulder cuts from the front legs of the animal (the ham comes from the same region of the hind legs).. Since the Picnic Roast derives from the part of the animal that has a lot of working muscles, it is tougher and more flavorful when cooked long and slowly enough. We love to cook Picnic Roasts on the smoker or the slow cooker. You can serve it up initially as pulled-pork barbecue and then make another pot of Brunswick stew out of the leftovers.

The Boston Butt is very similar to the Picnic Roast. It is also a shoulder cut with similar characteristics. It is called the “butt” not because it comes from the rear-end of the animal, but rather because it is cut from the thicker end of the shoulder thus giving it more marbling. Like a Picnic Roast, the Boston Butt is great when cooked slowly and served as sliced or chopped pulled pork.

Pate anyone? For those who are a bit more adventurous in the kitchen, the Liver can be used in many different dishes such as casseroles, soups, with breakfast sausage–most famously Pate, a creamy mixture of ground meats (including organs) that can be spread or sliced on to bread.