The National Pork Board (NPB) has done extensive carcass separation research to give producers better information about market pig value. Different genetic types, sexes, and market weights were designed in these research projects. Data was collected in the Quality Lean Growth Modeling Project and Genetics of Lean Efficiency Project. Some purebred pigs from the 1996 and 2000 National Barrow Show Sire Progeny Tests were included in this research database. Carcass separation methods were approved by a committee of producers, packers, and meat scientists. The work was supervised by the Texas A & M University Meat Laboratory staff, led by Dr. Rhonda Miller. One side of each carcass was separated into bone, lean, fat and other soft tissue.

Click here to view the Carcass Composition Factsheet

In Front End Guidance for Value-Added Networking: Marketing Pork to the Mexican Consumer in the United States, a marketing framework was provided for evaluating the potential for value-added networking among pork producers. As a case illustration, secondary data and site visit interviews with pork marketers serving primarily Hispanic customers were provided as documentation of the potential for value-added pork markets. One limitation was the omission of more detailed information on actual fresh pork products observed in Hispanic markets.

To expand on this information, prototypical cutting trials were developed to illustrate the pork products commonly observed in Hispanic markets. Following are the results of the cutting trials. This is not a scientific sampling of the yields and pricing of Hispanic pork products. However, such an effort could be undertaken by replicating the protocols employed for this analysis. It is meant to extend the case study already in progress by including photographs and illustrative yields of pork cuts. It is in the spirit of The Meat Buyers Guide published by the National Association of Meat Purveyors or the U.S. Pork Export Manual published by the National Pork Producers and the National Pork Board. A similar marketing prototype effort would be necessary to establish protocols for providing any pork product direct to an identified market.

Click here to view the Latino Cuts document

• Pork Cuts in Spanish
  
   

• Authentic Mexican Versatility Chart (PDF)