ontario pork news

Chris Elliot, Senior Economist at Restaurants Canada gives a breakdown of 2016 and what you can expect to see coming in 2017 in the world of foodservice. 

As consumers’ tastes begin moving away from the grill and towards the slow cooker and oven as they seek out those comfort foods, roasts are a consumer favourite. Everyone knows the staple cuts to have in the counter—centre cut pork loin roast, combo chops, and pork tenderloin—these are always in season and no counter should ever be without them. But how about something different this winter? Here are 7 cuts you may not be thinking about:

The pork belly primal represents about 20% of the hog carcass. See what merchandising opportunities you’ve been missing with this versatile cut!

Last year ended and this year started off with an exceptionally large amount of media coverage on rising food prices. Speculation was rampant regarding how high inflation would charge in 2016. One of the main catalysts of the concern was the rapidly depreciating Canadian dollar. The highlight (or nadir, depending on your view) of the coverage was the famed $8 cauliflower.

The leg primal is the hog’s hind leg. A large cut, it accounts for approximately 24% of the carcass weight. The bone-in leg contains the aitch, or pelvic bone, leg, and hind shank bones. The leg, or fresh ham, contains large muscles with a relatively small amount of fat and connective tissue.

In the previous issue of this newsletter, we focused on the loin section of the hog—home to some of the most popular (and expensive) cuts of pork.

We now move to the shoulder, a cost-effective yet versatile cut—think pulled pork, braised blade roast and marinated pork satays.