Pork Shoulder

kerri_gt

I have the urge to make a pork pie that I made very successfully a couple of years back (its a Hairy B's one) - I have't made it since as it serves about 10 and its just me and OH - and he is veggie :rotfl: but I plan to give some to friends / freeze some (will the pasty freeze ok?)

The recipe calls for diced pork shoulder amonst other things - I already have the pork mince and bacon in the freezer which could both do with using up so sorted there.

My question is, is there a real / any difference between the pork shoulders should in the supermarket from Basics to 'Outdoor Bred' (which actually generally means born outside, still lives most of its live indoors)? I do intend to buy British pork as I'm not comfortable with EU pork so wondered what the difference actually was between the British shoulder brand levels?

JIL

I understand that some of the basics can even be free range, its just the leftover bits or things not cut quite right.
I buy British as I'm just more confident of the standards, as opposed to overseas farming methods. I do for all meat. I would like to buy outdoor reared free range but that's not always possible.
Have you lookedon the RSPCA pigs and welfare standards? That may help.

pelirocco

The better the pork you bug the better it tastes !

kerri_gt

pelirocco wrote: »

The better the pork you bug the better it tastes !

But what constitutes 'better' if you don't have access to / aren't buying from a super organic, free range, down the road small holding?

Thanks JIL I, like you prefer to buy British where possible too, welfare being one of the reasons, but also transport miles and employment too. My OH is a veggie so I don't buy a great deal of meat anyway. Since this is going in a pie, not on the display cabinet I deff don't care about a slight offcut or the shape of it

I suppose I never thought some of those might end up being free range etc. I did have a print out from the RSPCA site a long time ago, I'll have a look again. Thanks for the reminder.