Quick-Cooking Pork Cuts You Need to Stock Up On

It's an easy hack: keeping thinly-sliced pork in the freezer makes for easy-to-make meals. It’s perfect for quick meals because it cooks in no time and can be turned into a wide variety of dishes. 

Here’s a list of all the pork cuts you can buy and the recipes that go best with them. You can also ask your butcher to cut up a fresh slab of pork for you in these ways.

IMAGE Yummy

1 Bacon Slice

Make: liempo 

Cut from pork belly, it’s basically thinly-cut liempo which means faster cooking time. Because it has streaks of fat running through it, this pork cut is always flavorful whether made crispy or tender. It’s also the same cut that is cured to make smoked bacon. The fat content is perfect for absorbing aromatics and spices.

Substitute your beef for gyudon with this slice for a tasty, flavor bomb that goes so well with rice. Another wonderful use for it is to make a quick substitute for chicharon if you find yourself with a bowl of creamy monggo.

Guisadong Monggo with Crispy Fried Liempo

This Filipino favorite is given a kick of texture and flavor with the addition of crisp pork belly.

Posted by Mira Angeles

Beef Gyudon with Poached Egg

Top with fried garlic for a punch of extra flavors!

Gingered Pork Stir-fry

Whip up a tasty stir-fry in less than 20 minutes with just six key ingredients!

IMAGE Dairy Darilag

2 Sukiyaki-Cut Pork

Make: Gyudon, Bulgogi, and Sukiyaki (use pork instead of beef) 

Pork sukiyaki cut is taken from pork loin, so it's a leaner cut than bacon slice. They cook so quickly, it feels like a miracle every time. Marinate overnight or longer for easier breakfast prep. You can cook them in teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, or better yet, use them for an easy sukiyaki recipe instead of beef. We also recommend Gyudon and Bulgogi which traditionally uses beef, but you can easily substitute with pork. If you’re looking a for a fun idea, you can even organize your own mini Korean barbecue at home!

Easy Sukiyaki Beef Recipe

Quick-cooking beef is the key ingredient in this simple recipe that yields a sweet, umami-packed meal.

Posted by Roselle Miranda

Bulgogi and Kimchi Rice Topping Recipe

This Korean-inspired dish features kimchi rice as the base and a choice of beef or pork for the topping.

Posted by Carina Guevara-Galang

IMAGE Dairy Darilag

3 Pork Steak

Make: Pork Steaks 

Already have pork steak in your freezer? Simply slice them thinly with your knife to get them cooking quickly. It’s a versatile boneless cut that you can mix with a lot of vegetables and add in stews for a meaty addition and much-needed flavor. Another tip for quicker cooking? Pound the meat with a mallet.

Pork Stir-Fry Recipe

Always keep some thinly sliced pork in the freezer. You'll be able to whip up a stir-fry in no time!

Posted by Joey De Larrazabal-Blanco

IMAGE Miguel Nacianceno

4 Tenderloin

Make: Pork stir-fry, homemade tocino 

Pork doesn’t always have to be a fatty affair. Tenderloin is a quick-cooking and tender but is a lean cut of pork. You can use it to make homemade tocino, and a flurry of other delicious meaty dishes.

Pork Tenderloin Recipe

This pork tenderloin recipe is easy to prep!

Posted by Lhas Alvarez

Pork and Scallion Stir-Fry Recipe

Use pork tenderloin for this quick stir-fry!

Posted by Lhas Alvarez

Pork and Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe

Save this pork stir-fry recipe for days when you need to put food on the table fast.

Posted by Rachelle Santos

More from Yummy.ph

WATCH: How to Make Homemade Pork Tocino

This Filipino cured pork recipe is perfect for breakfast and for baon!

Here’s a more detailed guide to all the pork cuts you need:

More from Yummy.ph

INFOGRAPHIC: Know Your Pork Cuts + Recipes You Can Use

Confused about which pork cut you should buy and use? We've got you covered.

Here are more pork recipes: 

Taiwanese Fried Pork Chop Recipe

Elevate pork chops just by adding five-spice powder and rice wine.

Posted by Mira Angeles

Pork Sisig

Learn how to make this popular Pinoy bar chow.

Posted by Mira Angeles

Braised Five-Spice Pork Liempo Recipe

Spice up your usual adobo with this Chinese-inspired twist!