What is the difference between striploin, ribeye and tenderloin?

Tenderloin is the most tender and mildest in flavour. Ribeye is medium-tender with rich, buttery marbling. Striploin sits in between, with a firm bite and a bold, beefy flavour. All three are premium steak cuts.

Is striploin a tender steak?

Striploin is medium-tender. It is firmer than ribeye and tenderloin but rewards you with a stronger, beefier flavour. Cook it no further than medium and slice against the grain for the most tender result.

Which steak cut is best value in Singapore?

Striploin and ribeye usually offer the best balance of flavour and price. For wagyu-like richness at a lower price, marbled Meltique striploin and ribeye are popular choices. Tenderloin is the most expensive due to its tenderness.

Where can I buy fresh steak in Singapore?

Tasty Food Affair cuts steak in its own butchery and delivers across Singapore in its own refrigerated trucks, with free delivery on orders above S$65.

Raw pork collar and pork loin cuts side by side for comparison

Pork Collar vs Loin, Bone-In vs Boneless: Which to Choose

October 16, 2026

Question one: does the bone matter?

Bone-in cuts have a real but often overstated advantage. The bone insulates the meat next to it, so bone-in cuts cook slightly slower and more evenly near the bone, which makes them a little more forgiving against overcooking. The bone also contributes some flavour and gelatin to the immediate surrounding meat during long cooking. And bone-in cuts are usually cheaper per kilo, because you are paying for bone weight.

The claim that the bone dramatically improves flavour throughout the cut is largely a myth — the flavour contribution is localised to the meat directly against the bone. For a quick-cooked chop, the difference is marginal. For a long-roasted joint, it is more noticeable.

The practical trade-offs: bone-in is cheaper, more forgiving, and slightly more flavourful near the bone, but harder to carve and slower to cook. Boneless is easier to portion, faster to cook, and easier to slice, but slightly less forgiving and usually pricier per kilo of edible meat. For everyday cooking where convenience matters, boneless is sensible. For a centrepiece roast or where you want maximum forgiveness, bone-in earns its place.

Question two: collar or loin?

This is the more consequential decision, because collar and loin are fundamentally different cuts that behave in opposite ways.

Pork collar (pork shoulder butt / pork neck / collar butt)

From the upper shoulder and neck. Well-marbled, with fat running through the muscle. This intramuscular fat keeps the collar moist and flavourful even when cooked longer, and makes it almost impossible to dry out. It is the cut behind char siu, Korean grilled pork, and many braises. The collar is the more forgiving, more flavourful, more versatile cut.

Pork loin

From the back, along the spine. Very lean, with little intramuscular fat. The loin is tender and mild but dries out quickly if overcooked, because it has no marbling to protect it. It is the cut behind pork chops and pork roasts. The loin needs more care — precise cooking, no overcooking, and ideally a brine to add moisture insurance.

Which to choose, and when

Choose collar when you want flavour and forgiveness: char siu, grilled pork, pulled pork, braises, skewers, anything where the meat cooks longer or where you cannot watch it constantly. The marbling does the work.

Choose loin when you want lean, tender, mild meat and you can cook it precisely: a quick pan-fried chop served pink at 63°C, a roast cooked to temperature and rested. The loin rewards a careful cook and punishes a careless one.

For a Singapore household, the collar is the more useful default. It survives the realities of a busy kitchen, takes marinades beautifully, and delivers the char-siu and grilled-pork flavours most people are actually after. The loin is the specialist's choice for when leanness is the goal.

The moisture insurance: brining the loin

If you do cook loin, a brine transforms it. Dissolve 60g salt in a litre of water, submerge the loin for one to four hours, pat dry, then cook. The brine seasons the interior and helps the lean meat hold moisture, turning the loin's biggest weakness into a manageable one. This single step is the difference between a dry loin chop and a juicy one.

Frequently asked questions

Is pork collar the same as pork shoulder?

Collar comes from the upper part of the shoulder, nearer the neck. It is part of the broader shoulder region. The terms overlap, and in Singapore butchery collar usually refers to the well-marbled neck-end cut prized for char siu and grilling.

Why does my pork loin always come out dry?

Because the loin is very lean and overcooking renders out what little fat it has. Cook it to 63°C internal (not beyond), rest it, and consider brining beforehand. Most dry pork loin is simply overcooked.

Is bone-in pork worth the extra hassle?

For long-roasted joints and where you want forgiveness against overcooking, yes. For quick weeknight chops, the convenience of boneless usually outweighs the marginal benefit of the bone.

Which cut is best for char siu?

Pork collar. Its marbling keeps it moist through the high-heat roasting and glazing, and the fat carries the sweet-savoury char siu flavour. Loin makes dry char siu.

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