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Pastured Pork Ribs, Roasts & Tenderloin
Pastured pork ribs and roasts are the weekend department — the cuts you smoke, braise, and roast for a table full of people. Every one comes from pigs raised outdoors in our Maryland wood lots, moved to fresh ground weekly and fed a Non-GMO, soy-free ration on top of what they root up themselves. No antibiotics, no added hormones. Baby backs and spares for the smoker, shoulder for pulled pork, loin roast and tenderloin for the oven — vacuum-sealed and shipped frozen to 24 states, or picked up at the farm.
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Choosing Between the Cuts
- Baby back ribs come from up along the loin — leaner, meatier between the bones, quicker to cook. The crowd-pleaser rack.
- Spareribs come from the belly side — bigger, fattier, more flavor per bone, and the traditionalist’s choice for true low-and-slow barbecue.
- Pork shoulder roast is the pulled-pork cut, full stop. Marbled and forgiving, it wants 8+ hours of smoke or a long braise, and it rewards every one of them. We wrote up our whole method in the smoked pork shoulder recipe on the farm blog.
- Loin roast is the Sunday-dinner centerpiece — lean, elegant, best roasted to 145°F and carved at the table.
- Pork tenderloin is the weeknight shortcut of the group: the most tender muscle on the pig, done in 25 minutes, sliced into medallions.
The simple sorting rule: shoulder and spares want time and low heat; loin and tenderloin want precision and a thermometer; baby backs sit happily in the middle.
Why Wood-Lot Pork Is Built for Low-and-Slow
Barbecue is a fat-and-collagen art, and a pig that spends its life rooting through wooded paddocks builds both differently than a confinement pig — more depth of flavor in the fat, richer color in the muscle, from heritage breeds chosen because they actually thrive on pasture. When a cut is going to spend eight hours in smoke, the raw material is the whole game. Start with a pig that lived like a pig.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between baby back ribs and spareribs?
Baby backs come from the loin side — leaner, curved, quicker cooking. Spares come from the belly side — larger, fattier, and the deeper-flavored rack for long smokes.
How long does pulled pork take?
Plan on 8 to 10 hours at 225–250°F for a shoulder roast, to an internal temp around 200°F where the collagen fully melts. Our smoked pork shoulder recipe walks through the whole cook.
Is pastured pork good for smoking?
It’s what smoking was invented for. Heritage-breed pigs raised outdoors build the fat and collagen that low-and-slow cooking converts into flavor.
Can I get ribs and roasts in a bulk pig order?
Yes — every quarter, half, and whole pig includes ribs and roasts in the standard cuts, and whole-hog buyers choose spare or baby back on the cut sheet.
How is it shipped?
Frozen, vacuum-sealed, individually labeled, by UPS in insulated boxes to 24 states — or schedule a farm pickup.
Related
Shop all pasture-raised pork
Pasture-raised pork chops for the fast-cooking side of the pig
Pasture-raised ham, steaks and hocks
Whole and half pig shares — ribs and roasts at the lowest price per pound
What Customers Are Saying
From the Farm Blog
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