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

Module 4 Cooking Methods & Tips Recipe Resources

Cooking Methods Pork may be cooked many ways, revealing its incredible versatility. Pork today is very lean and shouldn’t be overcooked. The best test of doneness is to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your pork.

Roasting Cooking Tips Recommended Cuts: Roasting, very similar to baking, is a method of cooking meat in the oven in a shallow, uncovered pan, and without adding liquid to the pan. Any cut of pork can be roasted, and should be roasted at 350° F unless otherwise noted. Refer to this cooking chart for times. Recommended Cuts: Ham Loin Roast Shoulder Using the drippings from the roasted meat will provide great flavor when making a stock, gravy or sauce. When placing a thermometer in the meat to check for doneness, be sure that the stem of it is not touching a bone because this can result in a false reading. Do not use sharp utensils that may pierce the meat when trying to turn it because piercing allows valuable juices to escape. Use other utensils, such as wooden spoons and spatulas for turning the meat. A roast with a bone in it will cook faster than a boneless roast because the bone will conduct heat faster than the meat. For a crisp surface, be sure the oven is fully preheated before placing the pork in it and do not cover the meat while roasting.

Sautéing Cooking Tips Fry quickly in a small amount of fat: Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Place pork in skillet; do not cover. Cook pork uncovered, turning occasionally. For stir-frying, cook over high heat, stirring constantly. Recommended Cuts: Chops Cubed and Sliced Cutlets Ground Pork Tenderloin Cooking Tips Use tongs or a spatula instead of a fork when placing pieces in the pan or when turning. Piercing meat with a fork allows juices to escape.

Broiling Broiling Tips Cook under direct heat at high temperatures: Place pork on preheated broiler pan so it is three to five inches from the heat source. Broil until the pork is brown on one side; turn and broil the other side until brown. Season as desired. Recommended Cuts: Chops Cubed and Sliced Ground Pork Tenderloin Broiling Tips For cuts of pork 1½ inches thick, broil three to four inches from the heat. For cuts more than 1½ inches thick, broil four to five inches from the heat.

Stewing Cooking Tips Recommended Cuts: Boil slowly in liquid: OPTIONAL: Coat meat lightly with seasoned flour, if desired. OPTIONAL: In a large, heavy pan with a lid, brown meat on all sides in a small amount of oil; remove excess drippings from the pan. Cover meat with desired liquid(s). Cover pan and simmer over low heat on stove or in a low to moderate (275 to 300° F) oven for 1 to 3 hours, until tender. A slow-cooker may also be used. If adding vegetables, add toward the end of cooking time, during the last 20 to 45 minutes. Recommended Cuts: Cubed and Sliced Cooking Tips Leftovers? They’re even better reheated tomorrow. Prepare dinner in the slow cooker and it’s ready when you are!

Braising Browning Tips This is a two-part cooking method: Season meat, if desired. BROWN - In a large, heavy skillet with a lid, brown meat on all sides in a small amount of oil; remove excess drippings from pan. STEW - Add a small amount of liquid and cover pan tightly. Simmer over low heat on the stove or in a low to moderate (275 to 300° F) oven.  Recommended Cuts: Blade Steak/Pork Steak Loin Cutlets Shoulder/Boston Butt Sirloin Pork Chops, Boneless or Bone-In Browning Tips Not crowding your pan will allow moisture to escape during the browning process and give you a properly browned item. For successful browning, foods must be dry and free of moisture or steaming not browning will result.

Grilling Grilling is the method of cooking pork over direct or indirect heat on an electric, gas or charcoal grill. Direct grilling is when pork is cooked on a grate directly over a dry heat source. Direct grilling can be done on a gas or charcoal grill and is the best method for tender, quick-cooking cuts of meat.  Ideal direct grilling pork cuts include: Pork chops Pork steaks Tenderloin Sausage Pork burgers Kebabs Ham steak Cooking Tips Because pork cuts will cook differently depending on the cut size and thickness, it is important to monitor pork with a digital thermometer.  Pork cuts such as chops and tenderloin are best enjoyed between 145 degrees F. (medium rare) and 160 degrees F. (medium), with a 3 minute rest time after leaving the grill. Ground pork should always be cooked to 160 degrees F.  For cooking guidance based on cuts, see our handy pork temperature cooking chart.

Barbequing Barbecuing is the long, slow roasting of pork using charcoal, hardwoods or gas as both a heat source and an addition of flavor. Barbecue as a technique is ideal for large and less tender cuts. The delicious outcome of barbecue can be achieved with indirect grilling (or grill roasting), when a grill is used and the pork is placed to the side (not directly over) the heat source.  Indirect grilling avoids burning meat on the outside while cooking through on the inside.   If using charcoal, create an empty space between charcoal mounds in the center of the grill to place a foil drip pan. Place the pork cut in the center of the grate over the drip pan.  Keep the grill covered and adjust grill vents to maintain the desired temperature.   When using a gas grill, light one side of the grill but keep the other side off.  Place the drip pan on the unheated side and the pork on the grate over the drip pan. Best Cuts The best pork cuts to grill indirectly include: Loin roast Shoulder roast Spareribs Back ribs St. Louis-style ribs Country-style ribs Belly Fresh ham roast

Grilling & Barbequing Tips To prevent pork from sticking to the grate, scrub grates clean and coat with vegetable oil or a nonstick vegetable oil spray prior to using. Do not use sharp utensils that may pierce the pork when flipping, as piercing allows flavor-filled juices to escape. Use other utensils, such as spatulas or tongs, for turning. Make sure the propane tank is at least one-third full before you begin grilling. Having an extra full tank of propane on hand just in case is never a bad idea. “Heat is good, flame is bad.” Frequently flipping pork on a cooler area of the grill is better than accidently burning it on an area that is too hot. A hot grill will cook thin cuts quickly, so have your necessary ingredients and sauces handy before you begin grilling. Sugar-based sauces (many commercial barbeque sauces) tend to burn if applied too early. Baste during the last few minutes of cooking. To check cooking temperature when using charcoal: Low – Ash coat is thick, red glow less visible Medium – Coals covered with light-gray ash High – Red glow visible through ash coating Using Wood A great way to enhance the flavor of grilled pork is smoking it with wood. A mainstay of traditional barbecue, smoking is done by placing uniquely flavored woods, such as apple, hickory, mesquite or oak, on the hot coals or heat source. The rich, deep flavor of the wood is brought out by slowly cooking the meat in a covered grill at a constant temperature of approximately 250 degrees F. 

Determining Doneness For juicy, tender results, whole muscle pork cuts, such as chops, loins and tenderloins, should be cooked to medium doneness – 145°F. For kabob and burger recipes use time guidelines and cook until nicely browned, turning once. Use a meat thermometer to judge doneness. When the internal temperature reaches 145°F, remove meat and let it rest for three minutes. For large, less tender cuts like ribs and pork shoulder, cook slowly; follow time guidelines until meat is fork-tender. Try The Touch Test The “touch test” checks the relative firmness of cooked meat to gauge doneness. Here’s how: Make a fist with your thumb in the center of your palm. Clenching your fist as hard as you can, use the index finger of your other hand to touch the muscle at the base of your thumb; this is what overcooked pork feels like. Keeping a fist, relax just a little; this is what perfectly cooked pork should feel like. Still keeping a fist, relax completely; this is what raw or undercooked pork feels like. Click here to download the Testing For Doneness PDF.

Recipe Resources Recipe Database from Pork. Be Inspired. – Anytime dishes; there are more than 2,000 to choose from. You may filter by pork cut, course, cooking method, and cuisine type. Recipe Database from Pork – Foodservice – These recipes require a little more technique. You may click on the pork cut to filter recipes. School Foodservice Recipes – Encourage your school cafeteria to use pork

EASY, PEASY PORK! Put a few slices of pre-cooked bacon in the microwave to enjoy with breakfast. Add sausage and pepperoni to your favorite pizza. Enjoy a ham sandwich with your favorite bread, veggies and condiments. Replace ground beef with ground pork on taco night. Reheat packaged, pre-cooked BBQ pulled pork on the stove top. Bake pork chops coated in mayonnaise and parmesan cheese. (425° F for 15-20 minutes) Add pre-cut ham cubes to canned bean soup. Add jowl bacon to green beans in a slow cooker.

Name that Cooking Method 1 2

Name that Cooking Method 3 4

Answers Roast Stew Sauté Barbecue

Exit Ticket 1. You purchased ribs at the store. Which cooking method would you be least likely to use? a. Barbecuing b. Sautéing c. Grilling d. Roasting Why? 2. Name two cooking methods that require the use of a stove-top? a. b. 3. How do you determine doneness?