Here’s a groovy little video of butcher Tom Mylan breaking down a side of pork into various subprimal cuts, aka “slab bacon, ham, chops, tenderloin…” The clip is a promo for the iPad guide, The Better Bacon Book: Make, Cook, and Eat Your Way to Cured Pork Greatness (Open Air Publishing).
Photo love: Flickr user johnmuk
I haven’t seen said book because I’m a modern-day Luddite. But I do know that bacon makes everything better, and far be it from me to withhold such information from the masses.
If you’ve never seen a side of meat broken down, I also recommend checking out Mylan at work: he’s more methodical than what you’ll see at your average pig comp butchery showdown, so you can really get an idea of how half a swine becomes your dinner. Happy cracklin’s!
