Whats the difference

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

handy54

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 22, 2012
24
10
Oelwein, its in N.E. Iowa
What is the difference between these two products?

b1a8d49c_porkloins3.jpg


Thanks
 
I'm not a professional butcher, but there are a lot of them in the family, so I know a little bit about butchery.
I would say that the loin for $2.79 is center-cut loin roast, and the other, as it says, is a whole loin.


~Martin
 
Last edited:
Anything labeled a "roast" means it'll be cut down to a manageable size. Usually center-cut, as said, which means you pay more to lose the shoulder and rib ends of the roast (my favorite parts) and the backstrap (which I love for stir fry and Jagerschnitzel).

If you don't feel like breaking down the whole loin, the roast is a good buy, especially for stuffing or for fast cooking. It's a better overall value to get the whole thing, because you get the same center, plus the shoulder end which makes Country-style spare ribs and stew meat, the rib chops are like a piggy ribeye, and the sirloin is great for hot and fast cooking methods. 
 
Whole boneless loin has the boneless rib end, boneless center cut, and boneless loin end roasts as 1 piece and continuous, usually minus the tenderloin.

"Boneless Roast" can be any of the three or a combination (rib end including some center cut, or loin end including some center cut).  In other words, a partial whole boneless loin, and you always pay more for part instead of whole.

These have become more popular as the company has increased tenderloin merchandising; i.e. in-package marination varieties of flavored tenderloins.  So, manufacturers merchandise more heavily of the rest, including boning out the whole loin and selling it as such, whole or half, plus riblets cut off the end before boning, and pork bones, baby backs, smoked neck bones (actually from the loin end, not neck, but most everyone wouldn't know the difference), etc etc.  The more you merchandise the more profit is made.  You can sell off the loin meat boneless at a low price and make a high profit on the parts and pieces, garnering excess overall yield from a whole loin.
 
Thank you for the information.

I think I got ripped off. Last week the store had the pork loin roast on sale for 2.79 also, when I asked how big the roast was they said " As big as you want" and produced a 2.5 ft - 8.5 lb. vac. packed piece of meat. I told them to cut it in half and thought I had 2- 4 lb. roasts. I guess I should have waited and just bought the whole loin and saved $.80 a pound.
 
Thank you for the information.

I think I got ripped off. Last week the store had the pork loin roast on sale for 2.79 also, when I asked how big the roast was they said " As big as you want" and produced a 2.5 ft - 8.5 lb. vac. packed piece of meat. I told them to cut it in half and thought I had 2- 4 lb. roasts. I guess I should have waited and just bought the whole loin and saved $.80 a pound.
Looks to me like there's a difference in the size as well. The whole loin says 8-10 lbs and as you state the roast was up to 8.5 lb or as big as you want.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky