Where to Buy Pork Belly

Have you been wanting to make your own bacon at home but weren’t sure where to find pork belly?

Or maybe you wanted to make a delicious batch of pork belly burnt ends.

Let’s take a look at a few of the common places you can find pork belly close to where you live plus a couple of good online butchers that sell pork belly.

Things to consider when buying pork belly

Before you decide where to buy pork belly, let’s look at a few things to consider before you dive right in and make a purchase. 

For most people, buying pork belly is the first step to making your own bacon at home (unless you want to try one of these craft bacon delivery companies).

You’ll find it to be cheaper, slightly healthier, and much tastier than the store-bought kind.

1. Source

Consider where the hogs come from. Were they organically fed without hormones or antibiotics? Were they raised humanely and in a pasture? 

This is where buying from a website like Crowd Cow comes in handy as you can see all the details about how the animal was raised.

For example, their Heritage Pork Belly has been pasture-raised, is antibiotic, hormone and GMO free.

Where you source your pork belly help to enhance the health benefits of bacon.

2. Quality of meat

Certain breeds of hogs are known to have different tastes. Heritage breeds such as Berkshire, Duroc, and Kurobuta, are described as having bolder and meatier flavors. 

3. Cost and size

Decide how much you are willing to spend. Per pound, making bacon at home tends to be cheaper than store-bought.

However, some places may require you to buy the full pork belly, which can range from 10 – 12 lbs. Do you have enough freezer space for that?

4. Customization

Decide how you’re going to cure, smoke, and cut it. One of the great advantages of making your own bacon is that you get to choose how it’s prepared, cooked, and ultimately tastes. 

If you’re looking for more information on the science of curing, check out our ultimate guide to curing salts. 

Looking for a great pork belly recipe? Check out our rotisserie porchetta style pork belly.

Where to buy pork belly

Let’s take a look at some of your options when sourcing pork belly. 

Locally

Finding pork belly locally should be your first place to try.

It’s nice to be able to inspect each belly, to make sure you are buying one with plenty of meat.

Depending on where you live, you might have a few options. Many local supermarkets don’t carry it, but if you ask the butcher there, they might be able to order it. If not, here are a few other places to try:

• Costco – They sell whole and sliced bellies
• Local Butcher Shop 
• Whole Foods 
• Local Ethnic Stores or Asian Markets

(Tip: If you have freezer space, ask to buy by the case. It’s usually less expensive.)

Buy Pork Belly Online

For online pork belly, there are 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

• Heritage Pork Belly
• 3 lbs.
• Skinless
• Limited Quantity
• Check the Price

Snake River Farms

• 100% Purebred Berkshire (Kurobuta) Pork Belly
• 5 – 6 lbs.
• Skinless
• Check the Price

You can also check out Porter Road online butchers. At the time of writing, they weren’t stocking any pork belly, however, they have in the past and from what we hear the quality is excellent.

They source their animals from small farms in Tennessee and Kentucky

Pork belly recipes

We hope you found this article helpful on places to buy pork belly. Start by looking at your local stores and markets, and if you don’t have any luck, online is a good option. 

Now you know where to get your pork belly, here are some fantastic recipes to make on your grill or smoker.

• BBQ pork belly
• Porchetta-style Pork Belly
• Pork Belly Burnt Ends
• Hot Honey Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Just remember to consider the source, quality of meat, cost and size, and how you want to prepare it before making your purchase. That way your bacon will be cheaper, healthier, and hopefully tastier than the store-bought variety.