What a difference a decade makes

• The hog of today is bred and fed by farmers to provide lean meat

• Today’s pork has an average of 31% less fat, 14% fewer calories and 10% less cholesterol than what your parents and grandparents ate.

In the 80’s• 11.8g fat

• 4.1g saturated fat

• 210 calories

• 68mg cholesterol

In the 90’s

•6.6g fat

•2.3g saturated fat

•173 calories

•68mg cholesterol

• Protein• Pork gives you amino acids to help

build and repair tissues and to help fight infection and disease.

• Iron • Helps red blood cells carry oxygen

to and carbon dioxide away from body cells.

• Zinc• A mineral used to form enzymes

and insulin. • B Vitamins

• Pork provides thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and B12.

• Shoulder Butt• Relatively fatty• Makes juicy, tender, and

flavorful roasts as well as clogged arteries

• Picnic Shoulder• This comes from the

lower part of the pig's shoulder.  It's usually made into smoked hams, but fresh picnic shoulder makes for very juicy barbecued pulled pork.

• Leg• The meat from this

part of the pig is usually made into hams, but fresh leg meat is lean and makes a terrific roast.

• Side• This is where the

spareribs come from.  Other meat from this section is usually cured as bacon and salt pork.

Loin Cuts

• Leanest and most tender pork cuts– Tend to dry out if

overcooked– Three main parts of

the loin:  • Blade end

– Closest to the shoulder

– Tends to be fatty• Sirloin end

– Closest to the rump– Tends to be bony

• Center portion– In the middle– Lean, tender, and

expensive.  

Selecting the Right Cut

• The degree of leanness

• How you’ll cook it• Number of people to

be served• Cost

– Cost per serving=• Cost per pound ÷ # of servings per pound

Grilling/Broiling• Broiling is used for chops cut at least 1 inch

thick, steaks, and ground pork patties.• Basic steps:

1. Place pork on preheated broiler pan or grill rack so it’s three to five inches from heat source.

2. Grill/broil until the pork is brown on one side; turn and grill/broil the other side until brown.

3. Season as desired; serve immediately.

Pan Broiling• Use this method for small pork cuts 1

inch thick or less. It’s a convenient method for cooking a few chops or steaks.

• Basic steps1. Preheat heavy skillet over medium-high heat.2. Place meat in hot skillet. Do not cover.3. Cook over medium-high heat, turning

occasionally until evenly browned on both sides. Remove fat and drippings.

4. Season as desired; serve immediately.

Stir Frying/Sautéing • Both of these methods are very similar and

good for thin pork cuts, or pork that has been ground or cut into strips or cubes.

• Steps:1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy

skillet over a medium-high heat.2. Place pork in skillet; do not cover3. Cook pork uncovered, turning occasionally.

For stir frying, cook over high heat, stirring constantly.

4. Season as desired and serve immediately.

Roasting• Roasting is a dry heat method excellent for

cooking large cuts of pork. • Basic steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325˚ to 350˚F2. Trim much of the exterior fat from the roast; if roast

has no fat cover, rub the surface with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Season.

3. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan.4. Do not cover; place in oven and roast to an internal

temperature of 155˚ to 160˚ for medium doneness. 5. Remove roast from oven. Allow it to ‘rest’ for 10 to

15 minutes before slicing.

Braising• Use this method for pork chops and for cuts

such as pork cubes and blade or arm steaks.• Basic steps:

1. Season meat, if desired2. In large, heavy skillet with lid, brown meat on all

sides in a small amount of oil; remove excess drippings from pan.

3. Add a small amount of liquid, cover pan tightly.4. Simmer over low heat on the stove or in a

moderately heated oven (275-300˚)

Storage- Freezing– Fresh pork can be frozen for up to a week or two. – Some cuts can be stored frozen for up to six months if

wrapped properly• Use proper materials: specially coated freezer paper, heavy-

duty polyethylene films; heavy-duty plastic bags.• Re-wrap pork in convenient portions; leave roasts whole,

place chops in meal-size packages, shape ground pork into patties. Put a double layer or waxed paper between chops

• Cover sharp bones with extra paper.• Wrap meat tightly, pressing air out of package.• Label the name of the cut, number of servings and date• Freeze at 0 degrees or lower.

Refrigeration• Pick out meat last at the supermarket.• Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.• Re-wrap in plastic film or foil or place in

resealable plastic storage bags.– Prepackaged fresh pork will keep 2 to 4 days; ground

pork 1 to 2 days• After pork has been cooked, cool leftovers in the

refrigerator, uncovered; then cover and wrap within 1 hour of cooking.

• Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Defrosting• Best way to defrost pork is in the refrigerator in its original

wrapping.• Guidelines for defrosting in the refrigerator:

– Small roast- 3 to 5 hours per pound– Large roast-4 to 7 hours per pound– Chop 1” thick- 12 to 14 hours– Ground pork- estimate time by package thickness.

• You can also defrost as you cook– Increase cooking time by 1/3 to ½ depending on the size of the

pork cut.– Place them farther from the heat source for broiling or start

cooking in a hot skillet, as in pan-broiling.– Cook frozen pork roasts at 325 degrees F.

Storage tips

• Use good, shape knives for carving and be very careful when handling them.

• Wash knives and cutting boards with hot, soapy water immediately after use to eliminate the risk of contamination

• Never cut cooked foods, fruits, vegetables, etc. on cutting boards that have just been used for uncooked meat.