Pork Cooking Guide

When we started to produce rare breed pork I wanted to cook it so that it would taste as good as it could. These are a few techniques I have found useful, I hope you do too.

Ruth

Resting

Pork should always be rested so whether it be 20mins for joints or 5mins for chops, it will make a big difference to the texture and tenderness of the pork.

Pan frying (then oven)

This is a technique that allows you to have a nicely browned exterior but an extended cooking time to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly, perfect for chops and sausages. It is basically frying in a pan then putting in the oven.

The oven should be between 200-220 Deg C. The meat browned to your liking in the preheated pan should be tipped into a preheated tin or tray and cooked for somewhere between 5 and 20 minutes dependant on the size and cut of meat.

If you want to cook the meat entirely in a pan then you should adjust the heat of the pan to suit the size and thickness of the meat e.g. thick sausages should be cooked on a low heat and then if you need to you can turn the heat up at the end to get the degree of caramelisation that you want.

Roasting

Initially heat the joint at 210-230 Deg C, in a preheated oven for twenty minutes for up to 2Kg, (thirty minutes for up to 3 Kg).

Then reduce the temperature to 160 Deg C and cook for approximately 25  minutes per 500g (meat thermometer reading 70 Deg C).

(Very well done 30 minutes per 500g (meat thermometer reading 75 Deg C))

Sometimes turning the oven up again towards the end of cooking helps to achieve more crackling.

Stir Frying

Put a little oil in a pan and heat until very hot (nearly smoking). Then through in your meat and stir/shake every 30 seconds or so. Pork should be cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.

The vegetables should be cooked separately as cooking the meat and vegetable together will mean that the water released from the vegetables will stew the meat leaving it wet and over cooked. You could try cooking the meat first and let it rest on a warm plate.

 Note: the juices of pork should always run clear, not pink.