Search

Contamination Prevention | Cooking Safety | Proper Storage When working with pork it is essential that the meat is handled and stored properly to ensure safety. You cannot see the harmful bacteria on the meat so you must handle it as if it is present.

Pork Chops Chops are smaller cuts from the loin primal cut. They are individual serving cuts that are sliced to various thicknesses. Depending in the size of the chop, 1 or 2 chops may be served as a single serving.

The larger pork cuts will need to be carved into smaller pieces for serving. Before carving, the meat should stand for 10 to 15 minutes after it is removed from the heat source.

Tips on Selecting Cuts | Terms | Description of Cuts | Inspection and GradingRead the Label | Look and Feel | Quantity to Buy | Purchasing in Quantity When shopping for pork there are several things that you need to consider so that you will be assured of purchasing the correct quantity, quality and type of pork to satisfy your needs.

Poaching is a moist heat method of cooking. It is also a healthy method of cooking pork because no fat is added during the cooking process. It retains the flavor, tenderness and moisture through a gentle simmering process.

Fresh or thawed pork does not require rinsing before it is cooked because any bacteria on the surface of the meat will be destroyed during the cooking process. Chops and steaks sometimes benefit from being briefly rinsed in cold water to rinse away bone grindings that may occur when the chops and steaks are cut apart.

Sautéing is a dry heat cooking method that quickly cooks the pork using a little oil and high heat. The types of pork best suited for sautéing are the more tender lean cuts, such as loin chops, tenderloin medallions, cutlets, and ground patties.

Tenderness Tips Avoid freezing whenever possible to eliminate moisture loss that occurs during thawing. The moisture loss in thawing results in less tender meat. Keep pork from drying out in the refrigerator by keeping it tightly wrapped.

Steaming is a moist heat method of cooking. It results in tender and moist meat through the use of steam. When steaming meat, minimum shrinkage occurs, and it is one of the most healthy methods of cooking because no additional fat is used.

There are numerous pork products available, consisting of fresh, frozen, cured, smoked, uncooked, fully cooked, and many heat-n-serve products. Some products are available breaded, seasoned or marinated.

Grilling is a cooking method that uses a dry heat that quickly cooks the surface and then slowly moves to the middle of the meat. When grilled properly, the meat will have a crisp flavorful outside coating with a moist center. Grilling infuses the pork with a smoky flavor from the meat juices that drip during the grilling process.

Hams Hams are cuts of pork that come from the leg, which have been dry-cured and smoked (country hams) or wet-cured and then boiled or smoked (city hams). The dry-cured hams are saltier, stronger flavored and have a coarser texture.

The first thing to do before starting any kind of trimming process is to be sure that the knives to be used are sharp. This will make the process go more smoothly. Dull knives are not safe and will produce poor cuts.

Variety Meats The variety meats include the organs, glands and the extremities of the pig. The meats taken from younger pigs will be more tender and milder in flavor.

Preparing Fried Rice with Uncooked Rice | Preparing Fried Rice with Previously Cooked Rice There are many methods used for preparing fried rice recipes, but two methods that combine the moist heat methods of boiling/absorption/steaming and the dry heat methods of frying/stir-frying are among the most popular.

Braising and stewing are very similar moist heat methods of cooking. They both use the same process of searing to enhance color and flavor, and slow cooking in liquid to produce tender, moist meat.

The process of tying meat is used to ensure even cooking and helps hold the shape of the cut. Tying is used on several different cuts and there are several styles of tying that can be used.

Stuffing can be used in crown roasts, extra thick chops or steaks, rolled roasts or rolled into flattened tenderloin. The stuffing can be made from a simple bread base or a wild rice mixture, with ingredients such as onions, garlic, lemon, herbs, and spices added for extra flavor.

Flour Used as a Thickening Agent | Frying | Deep-Frying | Baking   Flour Used as a Thickening Agent Flour is one of the most often used thickening agents when cooking foods such as sauces, gravies, soups, stews, and gumbos.

Checking doneness is accomplished in basically the same manner regardless of the cooking method you are using. While some methods are more accurate than others, there are certain cuts for which some methods will not be suitable.