Mary Lee Chin, MS, RD
Advice from leading nutrition authorities on a variety of current nutrition issues.
 
 
 

Preparation Methods

Pork is best when cooked to medium doneness - 160 degrees F. on a meat thermometer. Correctly cooked pork is juicy and tender, with a slight blush of pink in the center.
 
WET OR DRY?
There are two basic methods for cooking meats: dry heat and moist heat. Generally, dry-heat methods are best applied to naturally tender cuts of meat. Moist-heat methods tenderize less-tender cuts.
 
Dry-Heat Methods
  • Grilling for both small cuts cooked over direct heat and large pork cuts cooked with indirect heat
  • Broiling for small cuts such as chops, tenderloin, kabobs and pork patties
  • Sautéing for small pork cuts such as medallions, ground patties, chops, cutlets and strips
  • Panbroiling for chops, tenderloin medallions, ham slices, bacon and ground pork patties
  • Roasting for large pork cuts - loin roasts, tenderloin, shoulder roasts, ham, leg roasts
Moist-Heat Methods
  • Stewing for smaller pieces of less-tender cuts, such as ribs and pork cubes
  • Braising for large or small cuts, but traditionally less-tender cuts


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