Pork has a notorious reputation for being dry, tough, overly fatty, and unsafe to eat unless cooked to very high internal temperatures. We’ve listed 8 things you didn’t know about cooking pork, to get deliciously juicy and flavorful pork back on your weekly dinner menu!
1. Some Pork is as Lean as a Skinless Chicken Breast
It is a common belief that pork is a fatty meat. This simply is not true for all cuts of pork. In fact, pork tenderloin is now as lean as a skinless chicken breast. In the image to the right, you can see the difference in fat content between the pork chops, chicken breast, and steak. On average, today’s pork is about16% leaner than it was 25 years ago, and saturated fat has dropped by 27%.
2.Safely Cook Pork at a Lower Temp Than You Might Think!
The currentUSDA recommended temperature for pork is a significant 15°F (8°C) less than what was previously recommended just a few years ago (160°F [71°C] with no rest). The145°F (63°C) recommended internal temperature—followed by a recommended 3-minute rest—applies to whole-muscle cuts such as loin, chops, and roasts. (As with all ground meat, sausages and ground pork should be cooked to the recommended temperature of 160° F [71°C].)
3. Pork Doesn’t Have to be Dry to be Safe
It only takes one past experience with unsafe meat to become apprehensive about eating undercooked pork in the future. Fear is the number one reason we overcook pork. As Bruce Aidells explains, “…if you’re worried about trichinosis, fear not: The spores are killed when pork reaches 138°F (59°C) and is held there for just a few minutes.”
Cooking pork at the USDA recommended temperature of 145°F (63°C) will typically yield a finished product that is pinker than what most home cooks are accustomed to. Doneness cannot be accurately determinedby color. Internal temperaturemeasurement using a thermometer is the only way to knowif the meat is safe to eat.
5. Pork Can Be Juicy…Really!
Research performed by the National Pork Board has found that most at-home cooks have a tendency to overcook common cuts of pork, resulting in tough, dry cuts of meat. The new guidelines will help alleviate some of the stigma associated with undercooked pork and help people enjoy this “other white meat” atit* most flavorful, juicy—and safe—temperature.
6. Usea Digital Thermometer!
The number one, safest way to cook pork is by internally monitoring the temperature using adigital cooking thermometer to ensure an accurate final temperature. An instant read thermometer liketheThermapen®Mk4is an excellent tool to have. It gives you an accurate temperature reading in 2-3 seconds wherever you insert the tip. When compared to a dial thermometer that only gives an average reading.
7. Pork Continues To Cook When Taken Off Heat
Depending on the cut of meat, cooking method, and thickness, it can increase 5-10° in the center after being removed from heat. This carryover cooking happens when the latent heat in the outer edges of the meat continues moving toward the center (lowest temperature area) after being removed from the heat source.
Knowing this, it’s important to pull your pork from the heat source before it reaches the desired donenesstemperature.Meats prepared with high heat cooking methods will see a greater carryover cooking factor than those cooked with a low-temperature method.Smaller cuts of meat will have a less significant increase in temperature than will larger roasts.
The length of the rest time is directly proportional to the size of the cut of meat. See the table below:
This is another reason why owning a Thermapencan come in handy—youwill know exactly when to take it off and factor in carryover cooking.
8. Cooking Pork Can Be Quick, Simple and Creative!
Pork can be cooked in as little as 30 minutes and still have delicious flavor! Other recipes may take 30 minutes to prep and 6 hours to cook, but it is still simple to prepare. (Low and slow cooking is the only way to transformtough pork shoulder into succulentpulled pork.)
Don’t be afraid to play around with different recipes and applications for pork in your cooking. Try using it for festive Pork Carnitas, juicy Grilled Pork Chops, or add new flavor to pork chops with this Canadian Maple Syrup Glaze.
When cooking pork, it only takes a matter of a few degrees before pork goes from tender and succulent to being fibrous and completely bereft of moisture. With the right temperature tools and so many different recipe options for pork, your family can be enjoyingsomething new and delicious every week.
Pork shoulder and ribs should be cooked for a long time at a temperature at or below 275°F until the meat is tender. For this reason, these cuts are often used in slow-cooker recipes because the slow cooker gently cooks the meat at a lower temperature for hours at a time.
Pork shoulder and ribs should be cooked for a long time at a temperature at or below 275°F until the meat is tender. For this reason, these cuts are often used in slow-cooker recipes because the slow cooker gently cooks the meat at a lower temperature for hours at a time.
Cook all raw pork steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.
Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.
Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.
So this depends on the cut, and how much connective tissue it has. If you're cooking pork tenderloin, time doesn't matter much. If you're cooking the tougher cuts, you can benefit from longer cooking times for increased tenderness.
If fresh pork has reached 145°F (62.8 °C) throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.
Thus, eating rare or undercooked pork is not considered safe. To diminish the risk of developing these infections, you should always cook your pork to the appropriate temperature. Eating raw or undercooked pork can make you very sick and put you at risk for parasites like roundworm or tapeworms.
Eating raw or undercooked pork can also result in trichinosis, an infection of parasitic roundworms called Trichinella. While trichinosis symptoms are usually mild, they can become serious — even fatal — especially in older adults. To avoid parasitic infection, always cook pork thoroughly.
Some who avoid pork cite religious beliefs. Others avoid eating pork because of its environmental impact. Still others, upset by the treatment of both pigs and humans in pork processing plants, have replaced their pork chops and bacon with pasta and broccoli.
Muscle fibers contract and push out moisture as meat cooks. It first starts to happen when the internal temperature reaches 104℉ (40℃) and greatly increases once you hit 140℉ (60℃). This is why ribeyes, chicken breasts, and pork chops turn dry and chewy when you cook them for too long.
And, if you've ever encountered a dried-out, tough, chewy pork chop, that's a telltale sign of overcooking. Follow this tip: The most reliable way to test the doneness of pork chops is by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chop.
Meat juices inside can not react when we cook cold meat. We need room temperature for a juicy and tender steak. If you want to cook a tasty, delicious pork tenderloin in your oven, keeping all the flavors, you need to take it out of the refrigerator one hour before.
Pork shanks are a tough cut of meat and their flavour really shines through with long, slow temperatures. Pork belly is a mouthwatering cut of pork that is generally slow roasted at low temperatures (140°C) for a few hours to soften the meat and melt the fat, making it tender and moist.
You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender. This will help break down the tough connective tissues and collagen in the meat, resulting in a succulent and tender pork belly.
Pre-heat barbecue to 500F (260C). Set barbecue dials to MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook pork chops over DIRECT HEAT. This means your pork chop should be placed on the side of the grill that has heat/flame directly underneath it.
If you're baking your pork chops, be sure to sear them first (not necessary for grilling)… just brown each side for a few minutes in a hot pan on the stove (I use cast iron, with a tablespoon of bacon grease) before baking them at 400 degrees F. This helps them hold in the juices and not dry out in the oven.
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