PORK. Nutritious and Versatile An educator’s guide provided by the Kentucky Pork Producers Association

Module 5 Projects Post Test Resources

Plan Menus Around Pork  Create a menu of 5 dishes, with sides, where pork is used or is the feature.  At least one dish should be a breakfast item, and one dish should be a snack/appetizer.  Make a shopping list for your 5 dishes.  Determine the number of people you will serve and the cost per serving for each meal.  A Planning Guide is available for students.

Calculating Price per Serving  Unprocessed ingredients: Pick an ingredient and decide how much you will need for your recipe. This will be determined by the number of servings. In your project, you will feed a family of four.  Processed ingredients will list a serving size. Divide the cost by number of servings for those items.  Example: Pork LoinCorn on the Cob w/ButterGreen Beans w/Bacon 1 pound of pork = $ serving (raw) = 4 oz. 16 oz. in 1 lb. 16 oz./4 oz. = 4 servings $2.99/4 servings = $0.75 per serving 1 corn ear = $0.50 (1 serving) $0.50 per serving Butter = $5.00/lb. (32 servings) $5.00/32 = $0.16/per serving $ $0.16 = $0.66 per serving 38 oz. can beans = $2.20 (9.5 servings) $2.20/9.5 = $0.23 per serving 3 oz. bag bacon = $2.56 (12 servings) $2.56/12 = $0.21 per serving $ $0.21 = $0.44 per serving $0.75 (pork loin) + $0.66 (corn w/butter) + $0.44 per serving (green beans w/bacon) = $1.85 per serving

The basic makeup of any marinade is a combination of spices, acid (lemon juice, vinegar, yogurt, or wine), and oil. Additional ingredients may be added. Create 1 cup of your own unique marinade recipe for a pork tenderloin medallion or similar cut. After you marinate for at least 30 minutes, pan sear your pork for a taste test. See the next slide for marinade tips.

Marinade Tips  The key to really tasty pork is soaking it in a marinade before cooking. This simple technique doesn’t require any special equipment or a big investment of time or money, but it goes a long way in boosting the flavor of lean meats like pork. Marinades are particularly useful for smaller cuts that will be grilled or pan-seared.  Marinades permeate the surface of the meat to add flavor; the process isn’t designed to tenderize. If you’re cooking a thicker cut of pork, you’ll want to score the meat with a knife before marinating to allow the juices to seep inside.  For safety’s sake, always marinate pork in the refrigerator and never reuse a marinade for basting.  Typically, you’ll want to marinate pork for at least 30 minutes and as long as two days. If the recipe is citrus heavy, err on the shorter end of the spectrum to prevent the marinade from breaking down the meat and creating mushy results.  After your marinated pork has cooked, you’ll still want to season with salt and pepper, but perhaps slightly less than usual if those spices were used in the marinade.

Do You Know Pork Now? Have students answer the following questions one more time: 1. Name 3 different cuts of pork. 2. From what part of the pig does bacon come? Back, shoulder, or belly? 3. What is the recommended internal cooking temperature of pork? 4. Name 3 cooking methods commonly used for pork? 5. What is “country-style” ham?

For more information  Web sites to visit:    

Want more local flavor?  To learn more about Kentucky farmers, food and agriculture, visit  This lesson package was created through a partnership of the Kentucky Pork Producers Association, the Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom, and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.Kentucky Pork Producers AssociationKentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund