Hams, pork roast and shanks are some of my favorite comfort food products. Whether baked (roasted) in an oven or outside in the smoker, the intense satisfaction of the cut is delightful.

• Ham is the raw rear leg (rump to shank) of a hog, which is preserved by smoking dry-curing or wet-curing.
• Pork Blade Roasts are fattier than other roasts, more affordable with good flavor.
• Pork Tenderloins come from the loin of the animal and can be a center or end cut.
• Pork Rib Roasts are called pork center loin roasts or even sold as "pork roast" when the ribs are removed.
• Pork Top Loin Roasts are made by tying two top loins together with the fat sides out.
• Pork Sirloin Roasts are lean but less expensive than pork tenderloins.
• Boston Butts need long, slow cooking but offer up a tremendous flavor. This is the king of the Southern pork smoke and the source for all pulled pork dishes. It is not actually from the "butt" of the animal, but is a portion from the forequarters shoulder. The name refers to a time when New Englander's sent their product to sea in barrels or "butts", packed in a salt cure for long trading voyages.