The terminology of pork cuts is a mess and the new changes will make it worse. The biggest problem has been the use of the term "butt". The shoulder is usually sold in two portions, one of which is the butt portion and the other of which is the picnic, (which with other meats, such as lamb, would be called the shank). So, butt refers to the butt of the shoulder, not the butt of the pig. The butt of the pig is called the ham. To add more confusion, a picnic portion of the shoulder, when smoked, is called a picnic ham, whereas the ham from the rear end of the pig is a ham whether fresh or smoked. The default term, ham, is for the smoked version whereas the fresh version must be specified, as in "fresh ham". The link below is a diagram which, unfortunately does not indicate the hocks and is labeled "picture of the beef carcass". Oh well, I think you can see it is a pig. If you think I am mistaken about any of this, chances are that I am. :-) Jim Here is a link that might be useful: Cuts of Pork

The Tri Tip roast is referred to by other names in different areas of the country. I found a website that lists a bunch of the steak names...scroll down to #4, Sirloin. Providing your butcher with that information might help. I have also heard a Tri Tip referred to as a Triangle Roast. It's not as though cattle in other States don't have the same muscles, lol, so it's simply a matter of getting the butcher to understand what it is you're looking for. I don't know about pricing in other areas, but here I can generally get them for under $3 per pound, untrimmed...sometimes as low as $2.50. I prefer them untrimmed because it is a lean cut, and why lard/oil/baste if I can get it with it's own layer of fat to do the work for me!! Some recipes on the web claim that the cut gets tough if cooked to med or well, but I have had it many times both ways (even if I prefer my beef mooing) and that is not the case. The only time I have had Tri Tip really tough is when it has been carved by someone who didn't know what he was doing. It is absolutely essential that it be sliced across the grain, and thin slices are better than thick. As I said, it isn't as tender as a Filet Mignon or Prime Rib, but it certainly isn't "tough" as long as it is carved properly. Another Central Valley staple is the bbq Tri Tip sandwich. Thinly sliced Tri Tip (freshly cooked or leftover) slathered with your favorite smoky barbecue sauce in a bun. Mmmmmmmm. Here is a link that might be useful: Tri Tip names

I've posted this a few times. Absolutely delicious and amazingly simple. It's worth buying Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" just for this recipe. Pork Loin Braised In Milk Bolognese Style 1 tb Butter 2 tb Vegetable oil 2 1/2 lb Pork rib roast (see note -below) Salt Fresh ground Black pepper 2 1/2 c Milk Directions If among the tens of thousands of dishes that constitute the recorded repertory of Italian regional cooking, one were to choose just a handful that most clearly express the genius of the cuisine, this one would be among them. Aside from a minimal amount of fat required to brown the meat, it has only two components, a loin of pork and milk. As they slowly cook together, they are transformed: The pork acquires a delicacy of texture and flavor that lead some to mistake it for veal, and the milk disappears to be replaced by clusters of delicious, nut-brown sauce. Note: The cut of meat specified above includes the rib bones to which the pork's loin is attached. Have the butcher detach the meat in one piece from the ribs and split the ribs into two or three parts. By having had the loin boned, you can brown it more thoroughly, and by cooking it along with the bones, the roast benefits from the substantial contribution of flavor the bones make. Another cut of pork that is well suited to this dish is the boneless roll of muscle at the base of the neck, sometimes known as Boston butt. There is a layer of fat in the center of the butt that runs the length of the muscle. It makes this cut very juicy and tasty, but when you carve it later, the slices tend to break apart where the meat adjoins the fat. If you don't think this would be a problem, you ought to consider using the butt because of its excellent flavor and juiciness. Should you do so, substitute 2 pounds of it in one piece for the 2 1/2-pound rib roast. Do not have any fat trimmed away from either cut of meat. Most of it will melt in the cooking, basting the meat and keeping it from drying. When the roast is done, you will be able to draw it off from the pot, and discard it. 1. Choose a heavy-bottomed pot that can later snugly accommodate the pork, put in the butter and oil, and turn on the heat to medium high. When the butter foam subsides, put in the meat, the side with fat facing down at first. As it browns, turn it, continuing to turn the meat every few moments to brown it evenly all around. If you should find the butter becoming very dark, lower the heat. 2. Add salt, pepper, and 1 cup of milk. Add the milk slowly lest it boil over. Allow the milk to come to a simmer for 20 or 30 seconds, turn the heat down to a minimum, and cover the pot with the lid on slightly ajar. 3. Cook at a very lazy simmer for approximately 1 hour, turning the meat from time to time, until the milk has thickened, through evaporation, into a nut-brown sauce. (The exact time it will take depends largely on the heat of your burner and the thickness of your pot.) When the milk reaches this stage, and not before, add 1 more cup of milk, let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then cover the pot, putting the lid on tightly. Check and turn the pork from time to time. 4. After 30 minutes, set the lid slightly ajar. Continue to cook at minimum heat, and when you see there is no more liquid milk in the pot, add the other 1/2 cup of milk. Continue cooking until the meat feels tender when prodded with a fork and all the milk has coagulated into small nut-brown clusters. Altogether it will take between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. If, before the meat is fully cooked, you find that the liquid in the pot has evaporated, add another 1/2 cup of milk, repeating the step if it should become necessary. 5. When the pork has become tender and all the milk in the pot has thickened into dark clusters, transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let it settle for a few minutes, then cut it into slices about 3/8 inch thick or slightly less, and arrange them on a warm serving platter. 6. Tip the pot and spoon off most of the fat there may be as much as a cup of it being careful to leave behind all the coagulated milk clusters. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, and boil away the water over high heat while using a wooden spoon to scrape loose cooking residues from the bottom and sides of the pot. Spoon all the pot juices over the pork and serve immediately. From "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan

Fresh ham is simply pork roast. It's the uncured and unsmoked butt/rear leg portion of a pig, so it can be cooked like any pork roast can be cooked. You could grill it, bake it, smoke it, whatever you like. I usually put mine in a pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a handful of fresh herbs on the top. I like to slice an onion and use it as a "rack" to keep the pork up out of the juices, and some carrots are good here too, as are apples. Add about a cup of apple cider or broth or water, cover with foil, cook until done, I'd say maybe 2 and a half hours at 350F. If you like you can uncover during the last half hour, crank the heat up to 400F or so or make it crisper, that's especially good when there is still skin on the ham. I serve ours with mashed potatoes or twice baked potatoes, butternut squash and sautéed apples, a very yummy autumn/winter meal. It's also good as a cider brined roast, I use this recipe, which came from Epicurious and Cooking light, they're extremely similar, minus the potatoes in Epicurious' version. Cider Brined Pork Roast 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar 1 cup kosher salt plus more 8 bay leaves, divided 3 tablespoons coriander seeds, divided 1 teaspoon black peppercorns plus more freshly ground 1 quart unfiltered apple cider 1 8-bone pork loin roast (about 5 pounds), chine bone removed, rib bones frenched, tied with kitchen twine 6 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), unpeeled, quartered 4 medium red and/or yellow onions, halved, stem ends intact 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided Bring brown sugar, 1 cup salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 4 minutes. Transfer brine to a large bowl and add cider and 2 cups ice. Let cool. Place pork and brine in a large (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and chill at least 8 hours. Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Toss potatoes and onions with 4 tablespoons oil in a large roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and set aside. Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Using the side of a chef's knife, crush remaining 2 tablespoons coriander seeds. Season pork with salt and pepper and rub all over with crushed coriander. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork until browned on all sides, 8–10 minutes. Transfer pork to roasting pan and nestle in among vegetables. Tuck remaining 6 bay leaves under kitchen twine over top of pork. Wrap bone tips with foil to prevent burning and roast, turning vegetables halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of pork registers 140°F, 60–75 minutes. Remove foil from bones and transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 30 minutes before slicing. Annie