Are you looking for pork belly to make your own homemade bacon, or maybe some pork belly burnt ends?
Here are some of the places where you can find fresh and high-quality pork belly near you or even order some online.
If you prefer to buy good quality craft bacon from a trusted source and save yourself the time and effort of preparing it by yourself, you can try ordering from some of these excellent delivery companies for craft bacon.
What to keep in mind when you are shopping for pork belly
In order to ensure that you are spending your hard-earned money on the greatest pig cut and that it is suited for the reason you need it, it is crucial to keep a number of aspects in mind when purchasing a pork belly.
If you’re looking for pig belly to make homemade bacon, slow roast it, or incorporate it into another one of the many mouthwatering pork belly recipes, you should keep the following things in mind:
The source of the meat
It is recommended that you find a pork belly that can be traced back to the field and to its source. If you want high-quality and organic pork cut, then you should look for butchers, farms, or organic companies which guarantee the quality, and the hogs were pasture-fed, treated humanely, and not fed any hormones or antibiotics.
At Crowd Cow, you can order the perfect pork cut and also find all the details about how the hog was raised and fed. Then you can proceed to choose the perfect cut of meat for your needs.
The Heritage pork belly on this site comes from an animal that has been pasture-fed and with GMO-free foods, without antibiotics and without any hormones.
Knowing where your pork belly comes from will help you make an informed decision and hopefully choose a product that is healthy, natural, and safe to eat, made from an animal that has been treated humanely.
The quality of the pork belly
Some hog breeds are known to produce meatier and bolder tastes. For example, the heritage breeds, such as the Kurobuta, Duroc, or Berkshire, are among the higher quality ones, and the cuts from these hogs are tastier and thus more suitable for making delicious smoked homemade bacon.
The size and the cost of the pork belly
Before going ahead and buying the pork belly, you should set a budget for the meat. Keep in mind that in most cases, making your homemade bacon is cheaper than buying the bacon from the store.
But it is also important to note that some butchers and stores require customers to buy the whole pork belly, which on average is about 10 to 12 lbs. So, think about whether you need so much meat and whether you have storage space in the freezer for a cut like this.
Buying by the case at stores is usually cheaper, so if you have storage space in your freezer, you may want to consider this option as well.
How you will be preparing it
You should pick a pork belly cut based on your plans for prepping it and using it. Are you going to cut it, smoke it, cure it, roast it?
If you are making bacon, you have the freedom to choose among the various recipes and pick the preparation and cooking method to end up with the bacon you like and prefer.
You can check out our useful tips for curing salts and curing meat.
If you don’t have specific plans for your pork belly yet, you can check out this mouthwatering pork belly burnt ends recipe.
Where is the best way to buy pork belly?
There are several options when choosing where to buy the pork belly from.
Buy it locally
This is the first option you should try. By buying locally, you can actually go and take a look at the cuts and choose the pork belly that you like the most for your needs.
Of course, it depends on where you live, but in most places, it is less likely to find pork belly in a local supermarket. But you may be able to order it there, by asking the butcher.
Otherwise, you can most probably find pork belly at:
- Costco (where there are sliced and whole sliced bellies)
- Whole Foods
- Any local butcher shop in your area
- An Asian market or ethnic store
Buy it online
If you prefer shopping online, you should choose a reputable online meat store that offers safe, fresh, and good-quality meat. Here are some of the best online sites where you can buy pork belly:
For online pork belly, there are a few main sites to consider.
The online options tend to be a little more expensive, but you know you are getting good quality. Compare the quality, size, and prices of the two below:
Crowd Cow
This website offers high-quality Heritage pork belly, 2.5 lbs. uncured, and skin off. The cost is $25, but the quantities are limited, so you may have to join a waiting list or buy fast.
Snake River Farms
At Snake River Farms, you can buy premium quality, organic American Kurobuta pork belly sourced from purebred Heritage Berkshire Kurobuta pork, skinless and rich, raised without GMOs and hormones.
The average weight is 7 lbs., and this is one of the best pork belly sources you can find online.
Final words
Hopefully, we have helped you find the best place to buy the pork belly for your needs and the factors to keep in mind when buying pork belly or any other meat.
If you decide to make your own homemade bacon, not only will it be much cheaper than store-bought bacon, but it will also be healthier, and best of all, will be prepared just like you like it!