Much as you might love it, there are a lot of potential errors when it comes to cooking
pork. The pork cut you're making is also important when it comes to prepping and cooking your
pork to perfection. Here's how to avoid some big mistakes everyone makes when cooking pork.
The first mistake you can make with pork starts at the very first step: choosing your cut.
Not all pork is created equally, after all. Different cuts have to be prepared and cooked
differently. For example, if you're making pulled pork, you'll want a pork cut that's
big and marbled with a lot of fat, like a pork shoulder or butt. The fat in such a cut
will keep your meat moist and tender during the prolonged cooking process.
"Oh, look at that. Look at that."
"Can I have one?"
"Oh my."
"Please, just gimme some."
If you want a super juicy pork chop that's grilled to perfection on the outside, you've
gotta go with a bone-in cut, according to Southern Living. That bone will help to regulate
the internal temperature and prevent overcooking, while some swear that it also lends all-important
flavor to the final chop.
While we're at it, know that it's also important to understand the difference between a pork
loin and a tenderloin, which not only have different fat distributions but also come
from completely different parts of the animal.
And of course, pay attention to the quality of the meat you're buying. Buying better pork,
or even heritage pork over factory-farmed meat will give you a more tasty end result
every time, no matter how you prepare it.
No matter what type of protein you're cooking with, seasoning meat is pretty much a rule
across the board. Pork is no different. Seasoning your pork thoroughly will not only mean maximum
flavor in every bite, but can help create a crisp, delightful texture on the outside
when cooked over high heat. At the very least, don't skimp on the salt and pepper, no matter
what type of pork you're working with.
That's especially true when you're cooking leaner cuts of pork, like loin chops and tenderloin.
They can be tasteless if under seasoned. When the seasonings mix with the rendered fat and
seared meat during the cooking process, the results are delectable.
There are other ways of imparting great seasoning into your pork, too. Spice rubs are always
a good idea, bringing in even more flavor than the simple salt and pepper duo. Especially
if you're going for barbecue ribs or a whole pork roast, be generous with a rub that's
full of spices and aromatics to create deep flavors.
You may also want to consider soaking your cut of pork in a salty brine before cooking
to impart extra flavor. And don't forget the power of marinades.
Unless you're going for the leanest part of the pig, most good cuts of pork will have
at least some fat around the edges or even marbled throughout. This is a good thing,
lending richness and flavor to the final product.
You certainly aren't doing your pork any favors by trimming it off before cooking. The fat
adds a ton of flavor, while also keeping the meat moist while cooking. That fat is especially
key for juicy pork chops. If you're concerned about the fat for health reasons, then trim
it off after the meat is cooked, right before serving.
One exception to consider is when making pulled pork. Trimming at least some of the fat on
a pork shoulder will allow more of the meat to become browned and caramelized during the
cooking process. Most of that fat would be cooked off and discarded at the end anyway,
so there's arguably not much additional harm in trimming a portion of the fat beforehand,
but only in this particular situation.
While it's important that raw pork — or any kind of meat for that matter — not be
left out of the fridge for too long, it's also not a good idea to throw cold pork straight
onto your hot pan or grill. That's because the exterior will finish cooking before the
inside is done.
This could result in either an unappetizing and identifiably undercooked piece of pork
or one that's way too charred on the outside while the interior is just barely done.
The key is to strike a balance. It's best to let your meat sit out to temper — which
means to come to room temperature. Tempering can actually help the meat stay juicier, while
also allowing it to cook more evenly.
It doesn't have to sit out for long. Even just the time it takes for you to chop up
some veggies will make a difference.
It's pretty common knowledge that you want some oil involved when adding a piece of meat
to a hot pan, all in order to keep it from burning or sticking. But rather than drizzling
oil into your pan before cooking your pork, consider a better way. Try oiling your pork
directly rather than the pan itself.
This will give the meat an even barrier of heat protection and will also help keep your
oil from drying out or burning up in the pan too fast, and leaving your cut of meat to
overcook or burn. If you're grilling your pork, coating it in oil will also help keep
it from sticking to the grates or drying out.
It's especially useful to coat your pork in oil if you're planning to apply a rub to it.
This will help the seasoning stick evenly to the whole surface, letting the flavor fully
penetrate the meat.
We're all about cooking pork low and slow. Whether in the slow cooker or roasted in the
oven, that longer cook time and lower temperature makes for fall-apart, perfectly tender pork
loins, shoulder roasts, pork butts, and more.
But there's a key step you must not forget to master the flavor of slow-cooked pork — browning,
or searing, the surface of your meat before fully cooking it.
Searing a pork roast before cooking is said to make it more flavorful, mostly via caramelization
as any sugar in the meat or add-ins begins to cook down. Browning your pork roast will
create a crisp crust on the outside, adding an enjoyable textural element along with amped-up
flavor.
The exposure to sudden high heat creates what's known as the Maillard reaction, which allows
fat that's naturally found in meat to render and turn brown on the surface, creating more
flavor as well as texture.
The Maillard reaction is mainly focused on high-protein foods with plenty of amino acids.
Caramelization, its close cousin, is a similar process that refers to the reforming of sugars
during the cooking process.
While we've established the importance of getting a good sear on your pork to impart
delicious flavor and a crispy outer texture, there is an important tip to keep in mind
throughout that process. Keeping your pork on that super high heat for too long can ruin
your meal, drying out the meat or charring the outside, neither of which is going to
taste great.
To avoid this mishap, all you need to do is pay attention to your pork and recipe. Once
you achieve a dark brown sear on all sides of your meat — which shouldn't take more
than a few minutes per side — take it off the high heat and continue cooking in the
oven or slow cooker.
Or in some cases, just let it rest in the pan until it's ready to serve. Do it right,
and you should be left with pork that's juicy on the inside, with a tasty crust on the outside.
To put it simply: do not undercook your pork. This mistake can lead to a higher risk for
dangerous food-borne illnesses. According to Healthline, raw or undercooked pork can
potentially carry bacteria and parasites, including trichinosis and tapeworms, which
can lead to infections, weight loss, and a host of other highly unpleasant symptoms.
To avoid this risk, the National Pork Board, along with the USDA, says that pork should
always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The safest
and easiest way to guarantee your pork has reached a safe temperature for consumption
is to use a digital meat thermometer.
Insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the cut of meat, avoiding
the bone, to get an accurate temperature reading on your pork.
This takes only an extra minute or two and can save you a lot of grief post-meal.
If you haven't caught on yet, cooking delicious pork is a balancing act. And while undercooking
pork is a serious mistake that can potentially make you sick, it is also possible to overcook
pork. The results will be dry, chewy, and all-around unappetizing.
Pork cooked to 145 degrees may look a little pinker, but this is not an indicator of doneness,
and it will actually ensure that the meat retains some of its natural juices.
Remember also that, like quite a few foods, pork will continue to cook on its own a little
after it's been taken off the heat, so it's a good idea to remove it from the oven or
stove a few degrees before it's completely cooked, checking the internal temperature
with a meat thermometer, of course. That way, you can hit a perfect sweet spot of done but
not dry.
Look, we get it. You go through all the work to pick out and prepare a juicy cut of pork,
rub it down with delicious seasoning, and then cook it up to sizzling, seared perfection.
Now you're ready to dig in and reap the rewards.
Well, hold on there — all your time and effort will be for nothing if you skip the
absolutely crucial post-cooking step when it comes to your pork. We're talking about
resting.
When meat is heated, the muscle fibers tighten and all the juices collect in the center.
If you cut into it right away, those juices will spill right out onto your cutting board.
However, when meat is removed from heat and allowed to rest, the muscles relax as everything
cools down, and the juices redistribute throughout the meat. The amount of time your meat needs
to rest depends on how big it is, but you want to leave it until the inside of the meat
cools down to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The only exception to the resting rule is for meat that's been braised or cooked at
a really low temperature, including pork that's made in the slow cooker. Since the meat is
already at a lower temperature, it's less imperative that you let it rest before digging
in.
While there are a variety of ways you can go about cooking up pork chops, pork roasts,
tenderloins and the like — when it comes to pork belly, there's really only one good
way to prepare it. And that's the long and slow method.
Pork belly literally comes from exactly where you expect on a pig, and it has a super high
fat content. That means that if it's not cooked the right way, the heat won't be able to penetrate
all the way through the meat, and the pork belly will become rubbery, rather than having
that tender texture we all know and love.
For luscious, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly every time, your best bet is to braise or
roast it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. This will allow all that fat
to render down and surround all the meat as it cooks. If you want crispy skin on the outside,
throw it in a super hot pan or under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of your cook
time to crisp up the exterior just right.
In the family of pork products, bacon is in a league of its own. It's an American staple
of breakfasts, burgers, and beyond. The truth is that you can get it wrong, though thankfully
there are tons of tips and tricks for how to do bacon better.
But perhaps the biggest, and most common mistake, people make with bacon is trying to fry it
up in the wrong kind of pan.
"It's bacon."
"I know it's bacon, honey. What have you done to it?"
From the kitchen experts at Bon Appétit to the connoisseurs at Southern Living, and professional
bacon lovers in between, there is agreement across the board that a cold cast-iron skillet
is key to making perfect pan-fried bacon every time.
Cast iron does a beautiful job of evenly conducting heat throughout its surface, ensuring that
you won't have to deal with troublesome hot spots or low-temperature zones in the pan.
And tossing the bacon on cold, then slowly heating it up along with the pan ensures that
the bacon fat renders rather than burns, resulting in crispy yet tender bacon that won't curl
up and crumble.
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