Daft question time: What cut of pork do I need to make roast pork?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Sorry, I'm a veggie. My ds and dp like ham so I was going to try and make a roast dinner with sliced pork. What cut of meat do I need to get? there's so many and they all look the same...

(Oh, and how would you recommend cooking it?)

You can get any - buy one and ask the butcher what to do with it.

Personally I think pork belly is phenomenal if properly cooked, but it isn't to everyone's taste as it is fatty.

leg is lean but (to me) rather dry.

I like Pork Belly or Shoulder. They both make the best Crackling.

I always rub oil, salt then flour oon mine and you get really crispy crackling.

Speak to your local butcher, if as a veggie you can bear to go in there. Ours are brilliant at advice and for the cut you choose will probably give you cooking tips too.

All the pork cooking times are on the love pork website here. Just click on the one you're interested in and it lists the details.

I second coldtits re pork belly. You crank the oven up really high to start and then lower it. You also don't need to fiddle round in advance to get cracking, the other cuts like leg or loin you need to prep it the day ahead.

Last time I went to the butcher he recommended shoulder for a roast - said I wouldn't regret it, it was very nice

I usually use leg or loin, but shoulder is also fine. Depends on how much you need - I find loin is quite good if you need a fairly small piece.

My advice is find a good butcher who will be able to advise.

Do you have a Delia basic cookery course book? That covers most meat cookery wrt cooking times/temperatures I think.

Thanks everyone, shoulder sounds good (didn't someone on here get some pork belly a few weeks back with nipples still attached?)

No I haven't got a delia book, might be a good idea, I always ruin meat by overcooking it.

We have always had shoulder for a roast, rubbing it with oil and salt for good crackling (I have never tried adding flour, but it sounds like a good idea).

My wife then thought that she would push the boat out and go for leg (against my better judgment on cost grounds, and against our butcher's better judgment on crackability gounds). We were both proved right, and it is now shoulder every time.

Belly draft is lovely roasted, but is rather fatty and can be a bit chewy IMO. We use it sliced for BBQs.

Last time we had pork we did this Jamie Oliver slow-roasted pork shoulder and it was heaven.
Slow-roasting is good if you're worried about overcooking.