How to Cook Pork
Know your cuts., Make time to brine or marinate., Prepare a dry rub., Know beforehand when to stop cooking., Store pork safely.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your cuts.
Generally, there are four basic parts of the pig that the most common cuts of meat come from (though many countries cut the meat differently and/or have their own names for particular cuts): the shoulder/hand, the loin, the belly/side and the leg/ham.
The muscles surrounding the backbone are tender and lean (and usually more expensive!) because they aren't used as much by the pig as the muscles closer to the ground, which are tougher but more flavorful.Shoulder
- Usually divided into the lower picnic shoulder and the upper Boston shoulder (also known as the Boston butt).
These cuts need to be cooked with low heat and in gently simmering liquid (e.g. a slow cooker) in order to melt away the fat and connective tissue, but the result is tender and moist.
Available as: boneless Boston shoulder roast, Boston shoulder roast, cubed pork for kebabs and stews, ground pork (the picnic).
Loin
- This is where rib roasts, baby back ribs, tenderloin and the chops come from.
Since these cuts are naturally tender, dry heat cooking methods (roasting, grilling, broiling, pan-frying and stir-frying) are best.
Available as: blade roast, rib chop, loin chop, sirloin chop, sirloin roast, tenderloin.
Belly/side/spareribs
- The spareribs can be grilled and then roasted, but the rest of this section is usually reserved for bacon.
Available as: bacon, pancetta, spareribs.
Leg/ham
- This cut is usually sold cured, cooked or smoked, but if you buy it fresh, you can glaze and score the rind and roast it (a popular option for holidays and special occasions).
Available as: leg cutlet, smoked ham, top leg roast.
Other
- If you're adventurous, there's a use for almost every part of the pig's body.
You can boil the head for brawn (head cheese), stocks and soups, and fry or bake the ears for crunchy munching.
Throw the hocks/trotters into long-cooked soups, stews and sauces to add body.
The tail can also be eaten, as can the organs: pâté, small intestine sausages (chitterlings) and black pudding (blood filled digestive tract). -
Step 2: Make time to brine or marinate.
Since modern pigs are bred to be lean, the meat has less fat to keep it moist during cooking.
Brining is a good solution for this, but it requires planning ahead.
The meat sits in a mixture of salt and water and absorbs the water slowly through osmosis.
You can also make a mouth-watering marinade for your pork by combining your favorite flavors and spices in an oil base, then letting the pork sit submerged in this mixture for several hours or overnight.
A general rule for marinades is to use about 1/4 cup of marinade per pound of pork or enough to cover the entire outside surface of the meat in a plastic refrigerator bag.
The bigger the cut, the more time it'll need to brine or marinate.
Generally, cuts from the loin or belly region will need to marinate for several hours (up to 6 for large cuts).
Shoulder roasts can take up to 24 hours or longer to fully marinate.
Feel free to marinate your pork as long as want, however, make sure that you don't allow the pork to go bad by marinating for more than a day or two. , Another popular way to flavor many types of meat is with a dry rub
- a dry combination of salt, pepper, herbs, spices, and other (usually powdered or granulated) dry ingredients.
The meat is coated with the dry rub either immediately before cooking or anywhere from a few hours to a day beforehand.
Dry rubs don't help a piece of pork retain its moisture, but they do give it an intensely flavorful exterior, and, when expertly cooked, form a delicious "crust." Common ingredients in dry rubs include salt, pepper (both red and black), powdered garlic and onion, ginger, rosemary, and, for a sweet, caramelized crust, white and/or brown sugar.
Experiment with your favorite ingredients.
Generally, about 1/4 cup of dry rub is needed for each standard-sized cut of pork.
If you're unsure, just make enough dry rub to completely cover the surface of each piece of meat. , As with any meat, you want to cook long enough to kill any harmful micro-organisms, but not so long that you dry the meat out.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 F (70 C) (use an instant-read meat thermometer in the center of the thickest part of the meat) but some cooks prefer to stop between 140 and 150 F to preserve juiciness, since the trichinosis parasite dies at 137 F.Remember to account for the fact that the internal temperature of bigger pieces keeps rising even after you take the meat off the heat.
Don't let a good piece of meat "overcook" after you've finished cooking.
Pork cooked to 160 F (70 C) can sometimes remain pink in the center, depending on the cooking method or added ingredients.
So don't assume that because it's pink, it's not safe to eat! , When you buy raw pork, refrigerate it as quickly as possible to 40°F.
If you don't cook it within 5 days, you must freeze it (0°F) or throw it away.
Once you do cook it, eat it within two hours (or if the surrounding temperature is 90°F, within one hour), or store it in the fridge in shallow, covered containers for up to 4 days, or freeze it.
For best quality, eat frozen pork within 3 months, and never refreeze partially defrosted pork.
In general, though, thawing can dry out pork, so keep that in mind! -
Step 3: Prepare a dry rub.
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Step 4: Know beforehand when to stop cooking.
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Step 5: Store pork safely.
Detailed Guide
Generally, there are four basic parts of the pig that the most common cuts of meat come from (though many countries cut the meat differently and/or have their own names for particular cuts): the shoulder/hand, the loin, the belly/side and the leg/ham.
The muscles surrounding the backbone are tender and lean (and usually more expensive!) because they aren't used as much by the pig as the muscles closer to the ground, which are tougher but more flavorful.Shoulder
- Usually divided into the lower picnic shoulder and the upper Boston shoulder (also known as the Boston butt).
These cuts need to be cooked with low heat and in gently simmering liquid (e.g. a slow cooker) in order to melt away the fat and connective tissue, but the result is tender and moist.
Available as: boneless Boston shoulder roast, Boston shoulder roast, cubed pork for kebabs and stews, ground pork (the picnic).
Loin
- This is where rib roasts, baby back ribs, tenderloin and the chops come from.
Since these cuts are naturally tender, dry heat cooking methods (roasting, grilling, broiling, pan-frying and stir-frying) are best.
Available as: blade roast, rib chop, loin chop, sirloin chop, sirloin roast, tenderloin.
Belly/side/spareribs
- The spareribs can be grilled and then roasted, but the rest of this section is usually reserved for bacon.
Available as: bacon, pancetta, spareribs.
Leg/ham
- This cut is usually sold cured, cooked or smoked, but if you buy it fresh, you can glaze and score the rind and roast it (a popular option for holidays and special occasions).
Available as: leg cutlet, smoked ham, top leg roast.
Other
- If you're adventurous, there's a use for almost every part of the pig's body.
You can boil the head for brawn (head cheese), stocks and soups, and fry or bake the ears for crunchy munching.
Throw the hocks/trotters into long-cooked soups, stews and sauces to add body.
The tail can also be eaten, as can the organs: pâté, small intestine sausages (chitterlings) and black pudding (blood filled digestive tract).
Since modern pigs are bred to be lean, the meat has less fat to keep it moist during cooking.
Brining is a good solution for this, but it requires planning ahead.
The meat sits in a mixture of salt and water and absorbs the water slowly through osmosis.
You can also make a mouth-watering marinade for your pork by combining your favorite flavors and spices in an oil base, then letting the pork sit submerged in this mixture for several hours or overnight.
A general rule for marinades is to use about 1/4 cup of marinade per pound of pork or enough to cover the entire outside surface of the meat in a plastic refrigerator bag.
The bigger the cut, the more time it'll need to brine or marinate.
Generally, cuts from the loin or belly region will need to marinate for several hours (up to 6 for large cuts).
Shoulder roasts can take up to 24 hours or longer to fully marinate.
Feel free to marinate your pork as long as want, however, make sure that you don't allow the pork to go bad by marinating for more than a day or two. , Another popular way to flavor many types of meat is with a dry rub
- a dry combination of salt, pepper, herbs, spices, and other (usually powdered or granulated) dry ingredients.
The meat is coated with the dry rub either immediately before cooking or anywhere from a few hours to a day beforehand.
Dry rubs don't help a piece of pork retain its moisture, but they do give it an intensely flavorful exterior, and, when expertly cooked, form a delicious "crust." Common ingredients in dry rubs include salt, pepper (both red and black), powdered garlic and onion, ginger, rosemary, and, for a sweet, caramelized crust, white and/or brown sugar.
Experiment with your favorite ingredients.
Generally, about 1/4 cup of dry rub is needed for each standard-sized cut of pork.
If you're unsure, just make enough dry rub to completely cover the surface of each piece of meat. , As with any meat, you want to cook long enough to kill any harmful micro-organisms, but not so long that you dry the meat out.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 F (70 C) (use an instant-read meat thermometer in the center of the thickest part of the meat) but some cooks prefer to stop between 140 and 150 F to preserve juiciness, since the trichinosis parasite dies at 137 F.Remember to account for the fact that the internal temperature of bigger pieces keeps rising even after you take the meat off the heat.
Don't let a good piece of meat "overcook" after you've finished cooking.
Pork cooked to 160 F (70 C) can sometimes remain pink in the center, depending on the cooking method or added ingredients.
So don't assume that because it's pink, it's not safe to eat! , When you buy raw pork, refrigerate it as quickly as possible to 40°F.
If you don't cook it within 5 days, you must freeze it (0°F) or throw it away.
Once you do cook it, eat it within two hours (or if the surrounding temperature is 90°F, within one hour), or store it in the fridge in shallow, covered containers for up to 4 days, or freeze it.
For best quality, eat frozen pork within 3 months, and never refreeze partially defrosted pork.
In general, though, thawing can dry out pork, so keep that in mind!
About the Author
Mary Armstrong
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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