The whole loin roast is found on the back of a pig's body. It is located just above the spareribs and beneath a sheath of fat that covers the pig's back. This cut of meat is popular because it is moderately priced and very lean, making it a healthy entrée option. It is also used to make pork chops, which can be served at any meal of the day and cooked in several different ways. Whether you are cooking the roast whole or preparing it as pork chops, it is possible that you will need to do some trimming and preparing of the roast before you can start cooking.
Step 1
Cut off the ribs or any bones on the back of the whole loin. Ribs are sometimes attached and, although they can add flavor to a whole cooked loin, some people prefer to work with a boneless roast. You should be able to do this easily, cutting lengthwise along the bones or ribs as closely as possible until the roast is completely separated. The ribs and bones should come off in one piece.
Step 2
Remove the strip of fat from the top of the roast, if you want. Although fat adds flavor, sometimes the loin can come with too thick a layer of fat. You can trim this off in a manner similar to how the bones are removed, by starting at one end of the roast and slicing lengthwise along the roast to remove the fat. Position the knife as closely to the fat as possible to reduce the amount of meat lost through trimming. The fat should come off in one piece.
Step 3
Slice the roast into chops, if desired. Position the loin so that the side where the strip of fat was removed is facing up and the long side of the loin is closest to you. Cutting across the short end, work your way from one end of the loin to the other. The chops can vary in thickness as desired, but most pork chops are about 3/4 to 1 inch in thickness.
Tips and Warnings
- If you remove the bones from the roast, you can tie them back onto the roast to add flavor while it cooks, or cook them either on their own or in water to make a pork stock or stew. A chef's knife with a smooth blade is preferred for cutting uncooked meat; serrated blades will tear the meat and shorter knives will be hard to effectively cut through a roast with.
Things You'll Need
- Chef's knife
- Pork loin roast
- Cutting board
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