Want to know what types of pork you can pick up at Costco? Check out our guide to shopping for pork from chops to pork belly and ribs. Get some tips and recipes to boot.
All the prices are from 2024.
Who doesn't love a delicious, juicy pork chops?
Or finger licking good spare ribs?
If you are my daughter, you are all about that tenderloin.
We are pork loving family and we love buying pork at Costco. What's available? Let us show you and give you some tips along the way.
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🔺 Kirkland
When comes to raw pork, you will find two different brands, the Costco Kirkland brand and Swift. Let's start by looking at the store brand. All the prices you are seeing were gathered in Spanish Fork, Utah in January 2024.
| Top Loin Boneless Chops | $2.49/lb |
| Rib & Loin Bone-in Chops | $2.49/lb |
| Top Loin Bone-in Chops | $2.49/lb |
| Boneless Pork Belly | $3.99/lb |
| Pork Loin Back Ribs | $2.79/lb |
| St Louis Spare Ribs | $2.79/lb |
| Country Style Ribs | $2.99/lb |
🐖 Swift
These products come to Costco already packaged. You can find their products at other grocery stores too. I list the average size of the package.
| Whole Boneless Pork Belly (avg size 12 lbs) | $3.49/lb |
| St. Louis Pork Spare Ribs (avg size 10-11 lbs) | $2.99/lb |
| Boneless Shoulder Butt (avg size 15-16 lbs) | $1.99/lb |
| Whole Tenderloin (2-pack) | $2.99/lb |
| Boneless Pork Loin (avg 8-11 lbs) | $1.99/lb |
| Rack of Pork | $2.99/lb |
| Sirloin Tip Roast | $2.29/lb |
I do have to say that there is a lot more pork available in Costco in the South than out in California or even the Midwest. They love their pork in the south! I saw more options at the Huntsville, Alabama store than other Costco locations I have been in.
The increased selection included Rack of Pork. This is the same type of pork you see at Christmas time that comes type up into a circle and is labeled a Crown Roast of Pork. In this case, it's just a flat slab not a crown. This pork I feel has more of a steak like flavor and texture. One of our email subscribers said her neighbor cooked it on a Trager at 250 degrees and it was the best pork she ever had!
💲 Why is Pork Cheaper?
Have you ever wondered why pork is always cheaper than beef. I sought out some answers from a source I know from the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
This is what she had to say:
“One of the reasons that pork is less expensive than beef is just basic economics and numbers. Last week, hog harvest was at 2.3 million/head and cattle were 625,000. From birth to harvest, it takes less time to get a hog to market than it does a cow—typically, it will take 6 months for hogs but 12-18 months for cattle.”
Here some additional quick fact for you:
“Pigs grow fast and have multiple offspring. Pigs are pregnant for 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days and then will give birth to an average litter of 10 or more piglets and can give birth twice a year. They are ready for market at 6 months of age or when they reach about 220 pounds. On the contrary, cows give birth once/year to a single calf who takes much longer to become self-sufficient and is more $ to raise than pig. You can start a farm with only a gilt and a boar and have WAY more than two pigs by the end of the year, whereas if you started a far with a cow and a bull, you’d have 3 cows by the end of the year.”
🥩 Pork Chops
The steak of the pork world.
We have several pork chop recipes on the blog. I am huge fan of brining pork before I cook it to keep it moist and add flavor. Any of the Costco pork chops will work in these recipes.
On a couple occasions I have seen Costco offer a discount on a pack of top loin boneless chops. We have a specific blog post dedicated to showing you how to cook loin chops from Costco.
If you are a really big pork fan you need to learn more about Pork Brisket. Costco doesn't carry it but it's worth sourcing for it's flavor and texture. We talked about it on an episode of our podcast.
🥓 Pork Belly
If you want to give a go to making your own bacon, this is what you would get. But if that's not on your radar here are some other ideas for using it.
- Pan fried with a sauce
- Air Fry it
- Bake it
- Braise it
- Smoke it
- Put it in a Bao style bun
- Cook it and throw it into some ramen noodles
Pork belly is best as an ingredient in a soup or on top of some grits/polenta. It's rich and fatty, so you don't necessarily want to eat as much of it in a seating as you would a pork chop.
🍖 Ribs
Costco offers three different types of ribs - St. Louis Spare Ribs, Pork Loin Back Ribs, and County Styles.
All spare ribs come from the belly of the pig. It's what is left after the pork belly has been cut. To be St. Louis ribs they have to be trimmed down to remove cartilage. They have a more uniform, rectangular shape. They are easier to work with. The name St. Louis comes from the origin of where ribs where first trimmed in this way.
Pork Loin Back Ribs are cut from a different part of the pig - above the rib cage, near the loin area, where pork chops are cut from. They tend to be more tender than spare ribs. They also cost more than the St. Louis.
Country style ribs come from the shoulder area which is closer to the head of the animal. They really aren't true ribs. They are either boneless or bone in. Finding boneless is more common. Speaking of the shoulder...
🧺 Shoulder
Pulled pork is the way to go with pork shoulder butt (a very strange name). It needs to be cooked low and slow. We often throw this cut into our Instant Pot. Here are some simple instructions
- Using the sauté button and some oil, brown the meat on all sides in the pot.
- Add liquid and seasonings.
- Set the pot to high pressure for 60 mins
- Allow for natural release
Absolutely perfect for sandwiches.
🎧 How to Manage Buying in Bulk
On an episode of our podcast, Eat Shop Waste Not, we interview another blogger who is a huge Costco fan. Get ready to hear tips on how to manage the huge packages of meat that you buy so that nothing goes to waste as well as some of her favorite recipes.
🔪 Whole Pork Loin
Want to cut your own pork chops? That is what you should buy. If you are looking to start cutting your own meat this is the best place to start for a beginner. It's boneless and all you have to do is cut into chops or roast.
Learn more about Cutting Whole Cuts of Meat.
🐽 Tenderloin
One of my daughters isn't a big fan of meat. But she actually likes tenderloin to the point where she has asked for seconds before - a huge win.
The challenge with this lean cut is to keep it from drying out. I highly recommend having a probe or instant read thermometer on hand when cooking it to make sure you hit that perfect temperature. I only sous vide it now myself as you can cook it perfectly without worrying about overcooking it.
For my family of 6, we can finish up a single tenderloin per meal without having much if any leftovers.
💡 Tip - If you find that you are overcooking pork often and it's too dry, then I recommend finding yourself a quality thermometer. It will save you from ruining your pork.
📧 Join Our Email List
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📚 More Costco Guides
Enjoyed reading this guide? Make sure to check out our other guides. My Costco Beef Price guide is the most popular.
🍎 Applesauce Recipes
Pork and applesauce is a classic combo, I wanted to close this post out with some homemade applesauce recipes.
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