How to Cook Pork

Basic knowledge of pork . There are four basic parts of the pig that are most commonly used (although many countries have different cuts or have different names for each part): shoulder, back, belly, and ham. The muscles around the backbone will be tender, lean (and often more expensive) because pigs don’t use these muscles as much as the muscles near the bottom (which are usually tough but with more flavor). ^[1]

• Shoulder meat – Usually divided into 2 types: upper shoulder meat and lower shoulder meat. Shoulder meat needs to be cooked at low heat and simmered (e.g. in a casserole) to melt the fat and connective tissues while maintaining the tenderness and succulence of the meat. Meat is available in the form of: boneless roast shoulder, roast shoulder, cubed meat for stewing or combined with Kebab bread and minced meat.
• Back meat – Ribs, tenderloin, loin and chops originate from this meat. Back meat is usually tender, so using dry heat processing methods (grilling, roasting, grilling on high fire, frying and sautéing) is the most appropriate. Meat is available in the form of: shoulder loin, rib chops, loin chops, sirloin cuts, roast sirloin and sirloin.
• Pork belly/ribs – Pork chops can be grilled, then roasted, but the rest of the meat is usually reserved for smoking. The meat is available as: bacon, Italian bacon and pork chops.
• Ham butt – This meat is usually sold as bacon, cooked or smoked. If you’re buying fresh cuts of meat, you can oil, skin, and roast (a popular choice for holidays and special occasions). The meat is available in the form of: thigh cutlets, bacon and ham.
• Other Meats – If you like, you can use most of the pig parts. For example, boiled pig’s head (pork head) to make spring rolls, broth and soup. Or you can fry or roast the pig’s ears to create a delicious crunchy dish. Pork leg can be used for stewing. The tail and organs can be used to prepare dishes such as pate, pork sausage and pig blood soup.

Take the time to salt and marinate the pork. Today, pigs are raised super lean, so they are usually low in fat (fat helps keep the meat from drying out during processing). ^[2] In this case, salting is the optimal solution, but you need to prepare in advance. Meat when soaked in a mixture of salt and water will absorb water slowly through reverse osmosis. You can also make a delicious marinade by mixing your favorite flavors and seasonings in oil, then soaking the meat in the mixture for a few hours or overnight.

• The general rule of thumb when marinating meat is to use about ¼ cup seasoning for 0.5 kg of pork, or just enough seasoning to cover the entire surface of the meat in a plastic freezer bag.
• The larger the piece of meat, the longer it will take to salt and marinate. Basically, back and belly meat will need to marinate for a few hours (up to 6 hours for large pieces). Roasted shoulder meat needs to marinate for 24 hours or longer. You can marinate the meat for as long as you like, but make sure it doesn’t spoil from marinating for longer than a day or two.

Prepare the dry marinade. Dry marinating is also a popular method for marinating a variety of meats. Dried seasonings include salt, pepper, herbs, spices, and other dry ingredients (usually in powder or granule form). Meat will be rubbed with a layer of seasoning right before cooking or a few hours to a day before. Dry marinating doesn’t help maintain the moisture in the meat, but it does bring out the rich flavor on the outside, and when cooked properly, the meat will have a delicious “crust”.

• Common ingredients for drying are salt, pepper (red or black), garlic and onion powder, ginger, and rosemary. For a sweet and caramel-like finish, you can add white or brown sugar. Or you can try using ingredients of your choice.
• Basically, a standard sized piece of meat needs about ¼ cup of dry seasoning. If you are unsure, simply rub the dry seasoning that has completely covered the surface of the meat.

Know when to stop cooking. With any type of meat, you should cook it for a long time to kill off harmful microorganisms, but avoid cooking too long as it will make the meat dry. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that when cooking, the internal temperature of the meat must reach 70°C (use a specialized thermometer to plug right into the thickest part of the meat), but for some Processing method, you should stop at a temperature of 60-65°C to prevent the meat from drying out (because tapeworms usually die at 58°C). ^[3]

• Note that the temperature inside a large piece of meat will still rise even with insulation. Therefore, avoid cooking for too long and causing the meat to be “overcooked”.
• Pork that has been processed and reached a temperature of 70°C may still have a pink color on the inside, depending on how it was prepared or the ingredients added. So don’t think that pink meat is unsafe.

Store pork carefully. When buying raw meat, freeze it immediately at 4°C. If the meat is not prepared within 5 days of purchase, you must freeze the meat at -18°C or throw it away. Processed meat should be consumed within 2 hours (and within 1 hour if the ambient temperature is 30°C), or stored in a shallow, covered container. Frozen meat should be consumed within 3 months preferably and never re-freeze partially thawed pork. Also, be aware that defrosting can cause the meat to dry out.