• Shoulder Butt: Ground Pork, Blade (Butt) Roast, Blade Steak, Country-Style Ribs • Picnic Shoulder: Arm Picnic Roast • Loin: - Chops from the Sirloin, Rib, Loin, Top Loin and Blade - Roasts: from the Rib, Loin and Sirloin area - Tenderloin - Country-Style Ribs, Back Ribs • Side: Spareribs, St. Louis-Style Ribs • Leg: Fresh Leg Roast, Cutlet Pork Biz The Pork Basics Issue Issue 2 The Skinny on All Things Pork February 2012 Get the 411 on Pork • What’s the best pork cut for barbecue? • How long and at what temperature should I cook a pork roast? • I heard it’s now safe to cook pork to 145°F – is that true? These are the kinds of questions that are frequently asked in the meat department. To ensure that your customers enjoy all the benefits of juicy, tender pork, it’s important to understand the basics of fresh pork. Take advantage of this resource to get up to speed on cuts, cooking methods, leanness and quality. Pork Cuts A hog carcass is divided into five sections: Shoulder Butt, Picnic Shoulder, Loin, Side and Leg. From each of these subprimals comes a variety of familiar, favorite fresh pork cuts: Pork’s new target consumer is already a fresh pork fan: “Pork Champions” prepare fresh pork at least 4 times per month. Know Your Target Consumer NPB Segmentation Study, glass box research, Fall 2010 1
• Picnic Shoulder: Arm Picnic Roast• Loin: - Chops from the Sirloin, Rib, Loin, Top Loin and Blade - Roasts: from the Rib, Loin and Sirloin area - Tenderloin - Country-Style Ribs, Back Ribs• Side: Spareribs, St. Louis-Style Ribs• Leg: Fresh Leg Roast, Cutlet
Pork BizThe Pork BasicsIssue
Issue 2 The Skinny on All Things Pork February 2012
Get the 411 on Pork• What’s the best pork cut for barbecue? • How long and at what temperature
should I cook a pork roast? • I heard it’s now safe to cook pork to
145°F – is that true?
These are the kinds of questions that are
frequently asked in the meat department.
To ensure that your customers enjoy
all the benefits of juicy, tender pork,
it’s important to understand the basics
of fresh pork. Take advantage of this
resource to get up to speed on cuts,
cooking methods, leanness and quality.
Pork CutsA hog carcass is divided into five sections: Shoulder Butt, Picnic Shoulder, Loin, Side and Leg. From each of these subprimals comes a variety of familiar, favorite fresh pork cuts:
Pork’s new target consumer is already a fresh pork fan: “Pork Champions” prepare fresh pork at least 4 times per month.
Know YourTarget Consumer
NPB Segmentation Study, glass box research, Fall 2010
Pork QualityMany factors contribute to the quality of fresh pork cuts. Following are
industry standards for color, marbling and pH that help ensure that your customers have a great pork eating experience.
Tips for Perfect Pork•Use a digital meat
thermometer for perfectly pink pork at 145°F.
•Cook all fresh pork cuts to 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest, except ground pork, which should be cooked to 160°F like all other ground meats.
•For juicy results, cook ¾-inch loin chops for 8-9 minutes to 145°F; cook 1-1/2-inch loin chops for 12-16 minutes to 145°F.
•Slice pork roasts against the grain for more tender meat.
pH RANGE Fresh pork pH relates to tenderness and juiciness because it is an indicator of moisture-holding capacity. Ideal products fall within the middle of the range and will give your customers a juicy product when prepared properly. A pH meter measures the acidic (at the lower end of the scale) or alkaline (at the higher end of the scale) nature of the muscle.
5.7 6.2
OPTIMAL pH RANGE
COLORING STANDARD The color of pork cuts relates to tenderness. The ideal range for color scores is 3 – 5, eliminating cuts that show signs of PSE (pale, soft and exudative) on the lower end of the scale and also eliminating cuts exhibiting the appearance of DFD (dry, firm and dark) on the upper end. Both PSE and DFD pork will yield a lower-quality eating experience.
MARBLING STANDARD Marbling in pork is an indicator of flavor. Cuts falling in the middle of the range shown here will provide your customers with a flavorful eating experience.*
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Pork’s Slim 7It’s easy to promote pork to health-conscious consumers: seven cuts of pork are approximately 16% leaner than 20 years ago1. These lean cuts are:
•Tenderloin•Boneless Top Loin Chop•Ground Pork, 96% Lean•Boneless Top Loin Roast•Bone-In Center Loin Chop•Bone-In Rib Chop•Bone-In Sirloin Roast
1Based on 3-ounce cooked servings (roasted or broiled), visible fat trimmed after cooking. Reference: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2006. “Lean” means less than 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams cholesterol per 3-ounce serving.
*Marbling photos courtesy of the National Pork Producers Council.
Find “Pork Tenderloin with Lemon-Garlic Sauce” at PorkRetail.org.
Pork Biz The Skinny on All Things Pork February 2012
2
Cooking Pork Perfectly Understanding which cuts work best with various cooking methods can help you confidently assist customers at the meat case.
Barbecuing: slowly cooking pork in an open pit or on a spit using coals, hardwoods, gas or electricity as a heat source1, or grilling pork using indirect heat.
Braising: cooking pork by first browning it, then simmering it in a small amount of liquid over low heat2 for several hours.
Broiling: cooking pork in an oven broiler three to five inches from the heat source1 until browned.
Grilling: cooking pork over direct heat2 on an electric, gas, or charcoal grill.
Sauteing: cooking pork in a heavy skillet with a small amount of oil over medium high heat.2
Stewing: cooking pork in a small amount of liquid in a tightly-covered pan over low to moderate heat.2
Roasting: cooking pork in the oven in an uncovered pan without added liquid.
Shoulder Chop Loin Tenderloin Sirloin Back Spareribs Country Fresh Ground Cutlet Roast Roast Ribs Style Ribs Leg Cuts Pork
(if sliced)
2Direct Heat Grilling: cooking food directly over charcoal or gas burners.
1Indirect Heat Grilling: cooking food away from the heat source. Food is cooked slowly in the unheated center of the grill, with hot coals or gas burners lit on either side of the grill.
