Meat 
Pork Types and Cooking Basics Who doesn't love the smell of bacon sizzling in the
frying pan early in the morning? How
about the scent of a ham roasting in the oven just before Thanksgiving
dinner? Pork is a favorite meat around the
world due to its flavorful demeanor and versatility. It can be used in hundreds of dishes or as a
stand-alone entree. Ham and bologna
sandwiches have almost become a staple for anyone needing a quick lunch! Pork is derived from hogs (swine), and the meat cuts
are usually taken from young hogs that are about six to seven months old. The hogs may weigh as little as 175 pounds
and as much as 240 pounds. The majority
of pork is cut for ham, sausage and bacon.
In history, pork was introduced to the U.S. when Hernando de Soto brought hogs to Florida in 1525. It soon became the area's most popular
meat. During the 19th century, Americans
began to prepare pork with high levels of salt for preservation purposes. Types of Pork Cuts Retail cuts of pork are divided into four basic
categories. These are shoulder, loin,
side and leg. Shoulder pork cuts include
butt, roast and steak, smoked arm picnic, ground pork (sausage), smoked hock,
blade steak and boneless blade Boston roast.
Shoulder arm picnic contains the shank bone, arm bone and part of the
blade bone, as well as shoulder muscles with fat. Arm roast has the shank removed, but the
round arm bone and meaty portion of the arm picnic remain. Shoulder arm steak is similar to the roast
but cut thinner. The shoulder blade
Boston roast contains the blade bone (two sides exposed), the top part of the
whole shoulder and some fat. Pork cubed
steaks are cut mechanically from the muscles of various primal cuts. Pork loins can be cut as a blade roast, blade chops,
country-style ribs, rib chops, butterfly chops, top loin chops, loin sirloin
cutlets, back ribs, center rib roast and cuts.
Pork side cuts include bacon and spare ribs or back ribs. Pork leg cuts include ham, cured, smoked or
fresh. A whole pork leg is the hind leg
with bone in and is covered with fat and skin about halfway up the leg. Fresh ham (shank) is cut from the lower leg,
and has femur bone and shank bone with some skin. Cuts taken from the pork loin area may or may not
contain bone. For example, pork sirloin
cutlets are boneless and cut from the sirloin end after the backbone,
tenderloin and hip bone have been removed.
A sirloin roast, however, contains backbone and hip bone. Loin chops contain backbone, and the
tenderloin and eye muscle are separated by a T-bone. Pork is also cut as slab or sliced bacon and sausage
links. Interesting Facts about Pork In 1994, studies by the USDA showed that Americans
consumed approximately 50 pounds of pork that year. Pork is considered to be a red meat due to
the amount of oxygen delivered to the muscles through red blood cells. It contains more myoglobin protein than fish
or chicken. Selecting pork is not difficult if you know what to
look for. Make sure the pork meat has a
small amount of marbling for tenderness and flavor. The meat should be a grayish pink color and
firm, with just a small amount of fat. Pork is graded at two levels: Acceptable and Utility. Acceptable pork is what is sold as fresh pork
cuts in supermarkets. Utility pork is
used mostly in processed products.
Antibiotics may be given to hogs for disease prevention and treatment;
however, there is a required withdrawal period before the animal can be
slaughtered. A hog weighing approximately 250 pounds will produce a
carcass of about 184 pounds. From this
carcass, there's a yield of approximately 140 pounds of meat and about 44
pounds of bone, skin and fat. Ham accounts
for the most pork meat from a carcass - about 45 pounds or 24 percent. Cooking Pork As with any meat, raw pork should be handled with
care. Always clean areas around the
kitchen that have been exposed to raw pork with antibacterial cleaner. Pork should be refrigerated or frozen
immediately after arriving home from the grocery store. Pork does not have to be rinsed before
cooking, as any present bacteria will be destroyed by the high heat. Defrost pork in cold water in the refrigerator (in
leak-proof packaging) or on a defrost setting in the microwave. You can cook pork on the stove or grill, or in the oven without defrosting if you allow extra
cooking time. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the appropriate
temperature has been met while cooking.
Temperatures will vary depending on the type of pork used as well as the
meat's shape and weight. The minimum
temperature recommended by USDA is 160 degrees F. After cooking, some pork meat may still be
slightly pink in color as long as the safe temperature has been reached. Pork is delicious as a main entree or blended with rice
and vegetables. Traditionally, whole ham
is served with side dishes such as potato salad, coleslaw, bread, beans,
cranberry sauce and deviled eggs. It's a
Thanksgiving and Christmas favorite! Pork Recipes Try these delicious pork recipes for your next family
meal or any covered dish party. SWEET AND SOUR PORK
·
2 lbs. pork, cubed ·
1 large can pineapple chunks, reserve
liquid ·
1 large green pepper, cut into squares ·
1 large red pepper, cut into squares ·
3 tbsp. soy sauce ·
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger ·
3/4 c. pineapple juice ·
1 tbsp. rice vinegar ·
1/2 c. cashews, broken ·
1 tbsp. sugar ·
1 tbsp. cornstarch ·
1 tbsp. olive oil ·
1 large onion, chopped ·
2 cloves garlic, minced Chop the onion, cube the pork, and saute
in the olive oil. When the pork begins to brown, add the peppers, garlic,
ginger and cashews. Stir in the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, sugar, soy
sauce, and cornstarch. Simmer 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve over cooked rice. PORTUGUESE PORK CHOPS (Porco de Vinha de Alhos) Rub pork chops well with ground cumin (crush seeds in a
mortar and pestle for best flavor). Place pork chops into a glass, ceramic or stainless
steel ovenproof container. Combine: ·
1/4 c. white sugar ·
1 pint cider vinegar ·
2 tbsp. salt To this mixture, add: ·
1/2 c. (4 ounces) whole mixed pickling
spices ·
one quart wine vinegar ·
Peel, smash and mince: 4 cloves garlic Add to marinade. Cover tightly and place in
refrigerator to marinate for 2 days. Turn pork chops to coat evenly each day. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for
40-45 minutes or until done. Note: If you won't be cooking these in the oven (for
example, you might want to grill them outside instead), then save the dish and
use a Ziploc bag to marinate the chops. Copyright
®2010 Mom Knows Best Online LLC All rights reserved
|
