Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; curing extends the shelf life of pork products. Ham, gammon, bacon, and pork sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.

Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; curing extends the shelf life of pork products. Ham, gammon, bacon, and pork sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.

Archaeological evidence shows that pigs were domesticated from wild boar in the Near East in or around the Tigris Basin, being managed in a semi-wild state much as they are managed by some modern New Guineans. There were pigs in Cyprus more than 11,400 years ago, introduced from the mainland, implying domestication in the adjacent mainland by then. Pigs were separately domesticated in China, starting some 8,000 years ago. In the Near East, pig husbandry spread for the next few millennia. It reduced gradually during the Bronze Age, as rural populations instead focused on commodity-producing livestock, but it was sustained in cities.

Domestication did not involve reproductive isolation with population bottlenecks. Western Asian pigs were introduced into Europe, where they crossed with wild boar. There appears to have been interbreeding with a now extinct ghost population of wild pigs during the Pleistocene. The genomes of domestic pigs show strong selection for genes affecting behaviour and morphology. Human selection for domestic traits likely counteracted the homogenizing effect of gene flow from wild boars and created domestication islands in the genome. Pigs arrived in Europe from the Near East at least 8,500 years ago. Over the next 3,000 years they interbred with European wild boar until their genome showed less than 5% Near Eastern ancestry, yet retained their domesticated features.

Cuts of Pork:

Cuts of Pork:
1 — Ham; typically preserved, boiled or roasted.
2 — Shoulder; typically roasted.
3 — Neck; a more economical cut that can be minced for frying or can be slowly braised.
4 — Spare Rib Rast; for roasting.
5 — Fillet; a tender cut for flash-frying or briefly roasting.
6 — Loin or Chump; a succulent cut for roasting.
7 — Belly; a fatty cut that needs to be slowly roasted or braised, excellent for Chinese braised dishes.
8 — Belly Spare Ribs; excellent for marinating and grilling or barbecuing.
9 — Flank; for roasting or stir-frying.
10 — Hind Leg; a large joint for roasting.
11 — Foreleg; a joint for roasting or steaks.
12 — Throat; for mincing and frying.
13 — Head; for boiling or making brawn.
14 — Trotters; for braising or making jellies.
15 — Ears/Tail; for braising and flavouring other dishes