For a lot of Indian households that do eat pork, the relationship with it starts and ends at two things: bacon in the morning, sausages at a party.
Both are great. Neither is representative of what pork actually offers. There are cuts you’ve probably never cooked — maybe never even heard of in a kitchen context — that are worth getting to know. Some of them are easier to cook than chicken. Some of them are cheaper than mutton. All of them are interesting.
Here are six worth trying.
- PORK BELLY — THE ONE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
Pork belly is the cut that converts people. It’s fatty, layered, and when cooked slowly, produces something deeply satisfying — whether you’re roasting it for crackling, braising it in soy and spice, or slicing it thin for a quick pan fry. If you’ve only had it at a restaurant, making it at home will genuinely surprise you.
Start with a simple oven braise: cook low and slow in spiced liquid for 90 minutes, then finish on high heat for colour. Serve with steamed rice.
- PORK SHOULDER — THE WORKHORSE CUT
Shoulder is everything belly is, but leaner and more forgiving. It works in Indian-style curries exactly the way mutton does — same technique, different meat, slightly richer result. It’s also the cut for pulled pork, which takes almost no effort once it’s in the oven and feeds a group effortlessly.
If you’re cooking pork for the first time, shoulder is the place to start.
- PORK TENDERLOIN — THE SURPRISE LEAN CUT
Most people assume all pork is fatty. Tenderloin breaks that assumption completely. It’s the leanest part of the animal — close to chicken breast in fat content — and cooks in 15–20 minutes in the oven.
Season generously, sear on all sides in a hot pan, finish in the oven at 200°C for 12–15 minutes. Slice and serve. It’s impressive enough for guests but simple enough for a weeknight.
- PORK RIBS — THE WEEKEND PROJECT WORTH ATTEMPTING
Ribs require time, but not skill. The process is almost entirely hands-off — rub, wrap, bake low and slow, finish with sauce under a broiler. The result looks and tastes like effort far beyond what you actually put in.
Make them once and they become part of the permanent rotation.
- PORK KEEMA — THE MOST UNDERRATED OF ALL
Minced pork is wildly flexible and almost unknown as an everyday cooking ingredient in Indian kitchens. Use it in pasta sauces for a richer alternative to chicken mince. Stuff it into momos with ginger and spring onion. Cook it dry as a keema preparation with Indian spices — it works identically to mutton keema but with a slightly sweeter, richer flavour.
It cooks in under 20 minutes and takes spice beautifully.
- PORK CHOPS — THE FAST WEEKNIGHT CUT
Chops get a bad reputation because they’re easy to dry out. But with the brine-and-sear technique (a quick salt-water soak before cooking, then high heat and a short rest), they produce a juicy, flavourful result in under 15 minutes. Faster than most chicken preparations and more interesting at the table.
A well-cooked pork chop with a mustard or pepper crust is one of the best weeknight meals going.
WHERE TO BEGIN
If you’ve never cooked pork beyond the basics: start with keema or shoulder — both are forgiving and familiar in technique. If you’re ready for something more deliberate: belly or ribs for the weekend. If you want fast and lean: tenderloin or chops.
The range is wider than most people realise. You just have to start somewhere.
