Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pork

Can you save our pork chops?

Librarygeek — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:21:51 -0800

We grilled boneless pork chops on the propane grill w/a bit of bbq sauce last night. Is there a way to cook it further to make it more tender? The meat is...tough. It is actually almost crunchy in texture at places! Even the pieces that have no obvious tendon/fat attachments are tough.

Cutting it into tiny pieces leaves me with tiny tough pieces :(

Is there a way to save this meat? It is not edible to us as is and I hate to just throw it away.

Help me plan my pork (loin)

sparklemotion — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:32:30 -0800

Today, Costco had a decent price on boneless pork loins so I bought one. From what I can tell, this is the "whole" loin, including blade, center, and sirloin (the tube of meat is somewhere around 2 feet long). Help me plan what to cook with part of it on Sunday, and how to process/package the rest. Usually, if I'm cooking pork, I go for a shoulder/butt roast and cook that fatty, tender thing for a very long time (crockpot carnitas, smoked pulled pork, etc.) I've also cooked tenderloins, and understand how to do good things with them (cover with yummy things, sear, cook relatively quickly).

But I've never really gotten the hand of plain old loin -- too big for quick cooking, too lean for slow cooking -- be it in roast or chop form.

Anthony Bourdain, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and Christopher Kimball are all telling me that a pork loin roast should be braised in milk. I was skeptical at first, but given how popular the method seems to be, that's probably what I'll do for Sunday Dinner, but what part of the roast should I use? The blade end? the sirloin?

Should I cut some of it into chops? How thick? Which part (I was thinking cutting the sirloin into 1.5" chops to freeze down) does that make sense?

Which part of the loin is best for plain old roasting (or maybe slow-grilling/smoking?). If I plan to do something like that, should I brine it?

What to do with 2 smallish pieces of pork belly?

rhiannonstone — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:35:29 -0800

Yay: I have 5 lbs. of pork belly. Boo: It's in two pieces. What can I do with it/them? Normally I use the recipe from the Momofuku cookbook, but it shrinks so much I'm worried that these two small pieces might shrink down so much as to be unusable, or overcook. And anyway, I'd like to try something new. So, fellow porkophiles, any suggestions? Relevant details: The two pieces are of roughly equal size. They do not have the skin attached. I'd like to eat the result within the next 2 days, so nothing with a curing period longer than 24 hours. I already have enough bacon. (I know, sounds crazy, but I seriously have a freezer full of bacon and don't need more for awhile.)

Meat 101

booksherpa — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 20:14:54 -0800

All my protein cooking is either baking or slow-cooking chicken breasts, or things made with ground turkey (chili, meatloaf). Help me learn how to cook other meats! I don't know how to pan fry or broil, I don't know what I'm looking for at the supermarket in the meat department, I never use beef or pork, I don't know what to ask for at a butcher counter - educate me! I also need to start saving money and cooking at home way more, and it would be nice to branch out and have more variety in our repertoire. My preference is to use my beloved slow cooker and make something with lots of leftovers that I can take for lunch and/or freeze, but I can try other methods. Mr. Booksherpa and I are omnivores, I'm adventurous, he's mostly a meat and potatoes kinda guy.

Questions:

I seem to recall hearing that you can take a cheaper (and tougher) cut of meat and throw it in the slow cooker to tenderize it. Perfect! What cuts of meat should I be asking for, and do you have any favorite recipes? I'd love a variety, but a slow cooker pulled pork recipe in particular.

Should I find a local butcher, or will the guy behind the counter at the supermarket be okay?

What special equipment might I want? I've got a broiling pan that came with my stove, I think. Haven't used it in years.

I'm only cooking for two, but leftovers are fine (see above). Recipes that reheat well from frozen?

What do I do with the meat once I get it home from where I bought it? Take it out of the package? How crazy do I go trimming it?

I've got Bittman's How to Cook Everything already, so if there's specific recipes/pages in there you recommend, point me at them. Other cookbook suggestions or relevant websites also welcomed.

Seriously, I need explanations like I'm a big 5 year old allowed to use a stove.

Roast beast mixup: can thus recipe be saved?

snickerdoodle — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:14:51 -0800

My husband accidentally bought a pork shoulder instead of a loin for this recipe. It's now been marinated. Can we proceed anyway (I'm assuming with longer cooking time), or do we need to go back to the store for a loin? If the latter, what do I so with this mustardy shoulder?

Can I do anything with pig skin after slow-cooking it?

Magnakai — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:57:08 -0800

I made some delicious slow-cooker pulled pork using this chow.com recipe. I cooked the pork shoulder with the skin on, believing it to add flavour. After cooking, it came right off, along with a thick layer of fat. I've looked up pork scratching recipes, but none of them take into account that I cooked it for 8 hours beforehand. I'd like to do something useful with it, but I'm not sure what. Is it destined for my tummy or the bin?

Mmm...braised pork...

madmethods — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:22:31 -0800

I picked up a pork shoulder for holiday cooking. I love braising, but have only done beef and lamb. I've dug up a couple of recipes, but none has really grabbed me yet. What is your favorite braised pork shoulder recipe? What I have is a 7 pound pork shoulder (aka Boston Butt, etc.). Low-and-slow cooked flavorful braises are pretty much my favorite type of cooking and I have done many-hour braises with beef short ribs and lamb legs and such in beer, wine, pretty much anything. Loved those, so I'm looking for a similar treatment for the pork shoulder.

Pork-filter: Help me rescue my 'pulled pork' before it's too late!

lovedbymarylane — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:43:49 -0800

Pork-filter: Help me rescue my 'pulled pork' before it's too late! Today I attempted to make pulled pork. I went to the butcher, asked for a pork shoulder, watched him cut it off the pig ("huh, shoulder is the bit on the back near the legs?" I thought, but being a trusting sort, I went home with my 'shoulder'.) I dutifully marinated it for a few hours and then put it in the oven (the instructions were to cook it at 160C/325F for three hours). I just got home (it's been in there for about 2 hours 40 minutes) and it's kind of tough. I have no idea whether this is due to undercookedness or overcookedness or... help?

Potential issues:

- I just googled the cuts of pork and it turns out the crafty butcher gave me loin when I specifically requested shoulder and told him I was making pulled pork. He didn't know what pulled pork was (I think it's less of a 'thing' here in Aus than elsewhere). Is there any way, at this stage, I can make the loin taste anything like pulled pork?

- The oven is fan-forced, and having just moved into this new place I've never used it before, so I turned it down to 150C to be on the safe side. Is that still too hot for fan-forced?

Please don't tell me that pulled pork has to be slow-cooked for 10 hours; I'm not interested (this is a tried and tested recipe and it might not be the best pulled pork ever but it's apparently good!). And while I'm annoyed at the butcher my main focus here is rescuing this huge chunk of meat!

Help me please!

Segregation in the oven

routergirl — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:29:20 -0800

Help needed on my first tenderloin. My apples touched my pork! Now what? I am making this tonight, and one of the things it says is not to let the apples touch the pork or each other. This is my first foray into pork tenderloin (unless you count putting it in a crockpot with root beer and later pulling it and covering it in BBQ, which isn't science, seriously). So...my pork is done and my apples are done, and it all looks delicious, but it just hit me: The not touching thing, is that so they roast better or for some safety issue? I know raw pork is scary stuff, but after cooking this in a 500 degree oven for 15 min...surely all danger is gone?

Looked this up, but just found a bunch of other recipes for pork tenderloin that include not letting veggies, potatoes or other things touch the pork while cooking. So maybe it's a Thing?

Can this Pork Knuckle be Saved?

ms_rasclark — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 11:20:56 -0800

I purchased a rotisserie roasted pork knuckle at the Farmer's Market yesterday. I unfortunately neglected to pay attention to the prep instructions on the scribbled note at the stand. When I got home, I got out the slow cooker and started throwing stuff in...the meat and knuckle bone, a ham hock that I had stored in the freezer, a bunch of shredded carrots, cabbage, a cut up onion, 2 cut up apples, some seasoning, and a beer poured over the whole thing. I left it slow cooking for about 8 hours, then on warm overnight. When I got up this morning, the slow cooker was off and it was room temperature. Two questions: 1. is it safe to eat? 2. It doesn't really seem edible in it's current state. There's not a lot of liquid but what there is is mostly fat. It smells good but looks like a mushy mess. Is it salvageable for any purpose? Can I do something else to it to make it a broth base? Bonus question: I pulled the crispy skin off and stuck it in the refrigerator separately. Suggestions on what to do with that?

Clarksville, TN area BBQ recommendations?

Daddy-O — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 08:39:16 -0800

Any recommendations for BBQ joints in the Clarksville, TN/Oak Grove, KY area? BBQ means smoked beef brisket where I'm from, but I'm looking forward to trying some of the local delicious BBQ pork while I'm visiting the Ft Campbell area. Where should I go? What BBQ and side dishes should I sample? Thanks!

Help a Jew use up a pound of pork

litnerd — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:04:31 -0800

I have a pound of ground pork. What should I do with it? I have basic pantry stuff but not much else. Noodles, garlic, breadcrumbs, canned peas & corn, tomato sauce/paste, white rice, red/kidney beans, dry herbs, eggs and processed Parmesan in the fridge, etc. I don't think I can get too exotic with the recipe.

I got the pork because it was on sale, only to come to realize that I don't have a plan for it. What would you make?

Pulled pork wouldn't pull

misoramen — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:34:34 -0800

What went wrong with my slow-cooked pork shoulder today? It came out differently than it usually does, and wouldn't pull apart with forks. I did what I always do: spice rub. Sear on all sides. 225° oven in a cast-iron dutch oven for 1.25 hours per pound. The piece was 1.82 lbs, so I had it in for two hours and twenty minutes. Took it out, put a digital thermometer in, and it read 198°. Went next to fork shred it, and it wouldn't pull apart. It seemed like the fat inside hadn't liquified. I ended up having to carve it.

Notes:
- It was a smaller piece than I usually get -- I usually get 4 lbs, but that makes too much, so I tried for a smaller piece this time.

- It was more marbled with fat than usual (my spouse chose it at the store), and held together with a string net. I took the net off before searing it.

Buy fat in Philly?

zeek321 — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:05:56 -0800

Where can I buy lard and/or beef tallow (to eat) in Philly? Italian Market, right? Is there a butcher you really like and trust that you can recommend? If I want to get some today, by what time do I have to get over there?

What To Do With Pea Soup Paste?

The Whelk — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:35:43 -0800

Super Concentrated Soup? So I made split pea and pesto with pork soup two nights ago and I made too much. It also sat on low for a bit too long and is now a thick green paste. What do I do with it? Is it still safe to eat? Can i do anything to it besides adding water and making more soup? How best can I use these leftovers? The soup itself was just split peas on low heat with stock and water, lime juice, pesto, and some previously cooked pork cubes. Its in a bowl under tin foil in the fridge.

Butt... butt... it's not a pork loin.

Wordwoman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:17:41 -0800

Can I make a pork roast for Yuletide from a pork shoulder butt? I'm cooking a Yuletide meal this weekend and my plan is to make a pork roast, which I have never before eaten and never before cooked. I brought a lovely looking pork roast home, but upon inspection of the label I find that it is a boneless pork shoulder butt roast. The internet tells me that this cut is traditionally used for carnitas and pulled pork. This does not bode well for my vision, which was to roast it and slice it and sauce it with a fruited port wine reduction. As I look at recipes, I see that what I'm after is more traditionally made with a pork loin. Is it possible to do this with this cut of meat? If not, is there some other preparation that would be similarly festive? While I'm fine with braising or slow cooking it, I want it to hold together and look nice on the plate. If necessary, I'll throw it in the freezer and go shopping again tomorrow, but I'd rather not. Thoughts?

Quick dishes to cook pork mince (ground pork meat) in a pan?

Not Supplied — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:43:01 -0800

What are some quick dishes to cook pork mince (ground pork meat) in a pan? Looking for some new ideas. Would like some quick, cheap ways to cook pork mince in a pan.

I will be eating it with separate carbs, so would prefer not to have rice etc. in the dish.

Thanks.

butt...butt...it's a shoulder.

monkey!knife!fight! — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:59:33 -0800

Pork problems - I just found out that a pork butt is really a shoulder. I'm living in Germany, and I asked for a pork butt using the German "hinterschinken" and pointing at my own butt for reference. The butcher asked her boss, then went into the back and pulled out a piece and sold it to me. Now I'm pretty sure I have the wrong cut of meat for the carnitas I'm making tomorrow, so I went out and got an actual shoulder. Now my question is - what do I do with the actual butt piece I now have? Is this a ham? Obviously, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to meat cuts. Please help me make my mistake delicious.

KauaiFilter: Where can I find the best Kalua pig on Kauai, and what kind of car will I need to get there?

Hylas — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:53:20 -0800

Mrs. Hylas and I are headed to Kauai on 12/19 for our honeymoon. We'll stay 8 days on the north side of the island in a rental found through VRBO. After reviewing previous recommendations, we'll certainly go to Hamura Saimin. Neither of us have had a proper vacation in years, so we want to have only a few plans and leave the rest of our time open for spontaneous adventure. The only thing I really, really want to do while I'm there is make sure that we find a good source for Kalua pig (luau optional). Where should we go? We plan to rent a car in Princeville, but a few people have now told me I should get a Jeep. Do we need one? Why? Finally, Mrs. Hylas is convinced we're going to want to cook all of our meals in our rental and avoid eating out as much as possible. She would like to bring a cooler full of frozen stuff to save money. I'm not so sure. What say you?

Great marbling, but it tastes like the bottom of a pretzel bag.

Apollo's Favorite Mistake — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:56:08 -0800

Charcuterie Rescue: Too dry on the edges and too salty. Anything I can do? I cured a pork shoulder in spices and salt, wrapped it in cheesecloth, and dried it in my closet for a week. Halfway through, I sprayed water on the bundle to keep it from drying too much.

The end result is a slightly tough exterior & a too salty taste.

I'm interested in possible blanching the salt and redrying the piece.

Is this possible? Any tips?

What do I do with a 20lb bag of raw unrendered mixed pork fat?

Blasdelb — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:45:50 -0800

Say hypothetically, that you had half of a pigs worth of unrendered and raw pork fat trimmings in your freezer, apparently about 20 lbs, that your butcher handed you when they returned the rest of your, now disassembled, half pig. What would you do with it? The obvious first step is to render at least most of it into lard, but what can you do with that much lard other than throw out and replace all of your artificially hydrogenated vegetable shortening?

Some technical challenges include:
-The fact that it is all in one bag and is likely unseparated fatback and lard leaf.
-The cooking will happen in Shelton, WA, thus ideally ingredients should be findable in a small town with a significant Hispanic population, though trips to Seattle can be made.
-The belly fat is currently curing into bacon
-It is Shelton, and the chefs even live on and operate a small shellfish farm, but the poor wretches have developed a distaste for seafood in its ubiquity.

Assume that there is already a detailed understanding of mammalian fat metabolism as well as an educated decision regarding the effects of lard consumption on human health and the soul.

How can I salvage a delicious but dried-out pork fillet?

joboe — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:32:01 -0800

How can I salvage a delicious but dried-out pork fillet? It still tasted delicious but was too dry to eat it in the way I had intended (just cooking juices with vegetables). Does anyone know of any interesting ways of using the rest of the meat? I've got about 1.5lbs left. Yesterday, I bought a pork tenderloin and, having never cooked with this cut before, decided to look up a recipe on the internet. I'm a fairly experienced cook but was very distracted while converting temperatures and measurements and completely forgot that I had a smaller cut than in the original recipe and it would therefore need less cooking time. I realised before it got burnt but not before it had totally dried out.

Help me use the whole pig

ssg — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:16:58 -0800

My friends just called to offer me any of the non-conventional parts of the two pigs they are slaughtering tonight. What should I take? I just received the call now and the pigs are to be dealt with tonight. I have to grab anything that I'd like before it goes in the trash (which would be a tragedy). Obviously, I'll grab the trotters, liver, and heart, and any extra fat, but I'm not sure what else to take. I believe that the entire head is up for grabs, as well as any organs I'd care for.

I'm not experienced in butchery, but am willing to try. I love a good kitchen project, so involved work is fine. I'm willing to eat (or at least cook and try) pretty much anything.

Can I just stick the whole head on the rotisserie (with an apple in the mouth presumably)? Can I use the intestines for sausage? Can I eat the tail?

Is the pig still good?

Mister Fabulous — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:52:50 -0800

Is it safe to eat question #18734. Vacuum packed pork spare ribs, six days in the fridge. Still good? I took ribs that were in the freezer out last Sunday and moved them to the fridge. They are vacuum packed and haven't been opened. I'd like to rub them today and bake them tomorrow.

My question is... Are they still good? Six, nearly seven days seems long, but they are vacuum sealed. Thoughts on my $20 worth of pig?

Also: uncooked, not pre-cooked ribs.

Why isn't my pork roast ... uh, roasting?

slightly sissy tea hound — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:43:45 -0800

Why isn't my pork roast ... uh, roasting? My almost 4lb pork shoulder has been slow roasting in the oven for about 5 hours and yet its internal temp is still 30 degrees too low. So I am making this garlic pulled pork recipe. It's been in the oven for over 5 hours at 250 degrees. We have an oven thermometer, so I know the temp is accurate. The pork roast weighs 3.8 pounds and was rubbed with the lime and cumin recipe in the link. It's sitting in a corningware pot in a small pool of cider vinegar.

The meat thermometer reads 160ish, which is 30 degrees too low. What's going on? Is it the corningware? The cider?