When selecting raw pork to transform into your next batch of delectable homemade jerky, not all cuts make the cut. Choosing lean, tender pork portions allows for the best moisture, texture, and big flavor payoff once marinated and dried into chewy jerky perfection.
Many favorite pork jerky recipes call for loin cuts thanks to large uniform muscles producing ample meaty chunks while keeping fat and connective tissues low. Center-cut pork loin yields those ideal long, flat slices perfect for getting seasons penetrated throughout. Flanking sections of the loin also produce wonderfully tender jerky.
Further down the back, the pork tenderloin also offers premium lean, supple meat that excels for slicing for jerky. Given its name, it’s no surprise this cut creates exceptionally tender jerky chunks that easily soak up bold marinades. With two tenderloins per hog, you get double the jerky-ready meat in one small protein package.
Shoulder butt or Boston butt portions high in marbling surpass other cuts too for moist jerky imbued with richer mouthwatering flavor once all that fat slowly renders and bastes the meat. Go low and slow when drying and just trim off the remaining surface fat after slicing across the grain into strips.
While bacon jerky certainly tantalizes tastebuds, sticking to ultra-lean yet tenderloin cuts eliminates chewing through chewy fat bits. Their uniform grain and muscle structure take wonderfully to thin slicing necessary for jerky success. Treat your jerky-loving taste buds by starting only with prime pork cuts so tantalizing homemade jerky can be yours!