If you don’t have one of these specialty tools, don’t sweat it. You can also use an ordinary fork or even your bare hands to get the same effect if you don’t have a mallet handy. Stab, pummel, or mash the meat to break up the muscle fibers and make a more tender dish.
Acids like citrus juices, vinegars, and wines are common in many pork marinade recipes. For instance, it’s not uncommon to see red wine paired with soy sauce and other ingredients (like brown sugar) as a pork marinade. [2] X Research source To avoid the toughening effect that can occur with strongly acidic marinades, you may want to use an acidic dairy product instead — yogurt and buttermilk are only mildly acidic and make great marinade bases for juicy, delicious pork chops. Tenderizing enzymes can be found in the juices of several fruits. For instance, pineapple, which contains the enzyme bromelain, and papaya, which contains the enzyme papain, are both excellent tenderizing ingredients. [3] X Research source However, it’s important to remember that in high doses, these enzymes can work too well, producing mushy meat.
For a great brine recipe, combine 1 gallon (3. 8 L) water, 3/4 cup salt, 3/4 cup sugar, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl and stir to dissolve (heating the water in a pot can speed up the dissolving process). Add your pork to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you begin cooking. Depending on the type of pork you’re cooking, optimal brining times will vary. For instance, pork chops usually require about 12 hours to a full day, whole pork loin roasts can require several days of brining, and tenderloin can be ready in as few as six hours. [4] X Research source
Always apply meat tenderizer sparingly. Lightly dampen the surface of your pork with water just before cooking, then sprinkle evenly with about 1 teaspoon of meat tenderizer per pound of meat. Pierce the meat with a fork at roughly 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) intervals and begin cooking. If your meat tenderizer is labeled as “seasoned”, it will usually contain salt — in this case, don’t season with extra salt before cooking.
The indirect heat is vital to keeping your pork tender and juicy. While searing is great for giving your pork a delicious exterior “crust”, using direct heat to cook your pork completely can easily lead to a tough, over-cooked piece of meat. Indirect heat from an oven or a closed grill, however, gradually cooks the entire piece of meat, leading to a tender, evenly-cooked final product. Since direct heat (like a hot pan) cooks the outside of your meat much quicker than it cooks the inside, you’ll generally only need to cook for a minute or two per side to give your entire piece of meat a good searing. However, indirect heat (like from an oven) will take a longer time to cook your pork — usually about 20 minutes per pound. [5] X Research source
Though braising times for different pork cuts can vary, in general, you’ll want to braise pork for about 30 minutes or so per pound (longer for tough meat or meat with lots of connective tissue). Often, braising recipes call for the meat to be seared or sauteed briefly before braising to give the meat a crispy exterior.
Since smoking can be expensive and time-consuming, it’s usually reserved for big pieces of meat that require long cooking times (like brisket, pork shoulder roasts, etc. ) and social events like barbecues and cookouts. Smoking is a delicate art form for which many professionals use specialized equipment which can be quite expensive. However, it can also be accomplished with an ordinary barbecue grill. See How to Smoke Meat for a comprehensive guide to smoking meat.
Stewing times for pork can vary but are generally comparable to braising times. Slow cookers (like crock pots, etc. ) are especially convenient for stewing. Often, with these types of tools, all you need to do is put your ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and let it cook for several hours without any extra work from you. Note, however, that if you’re using vegetables in your stew, these should be added late in the cooking process, as they cook much faster than pork.
Cutting the meat without letting it rest first makes the meat less moist and tender. When you cook a piece of meat like pork, a great deal of the meat’s internal moisture is “squeezed” out of the proteins that make up the meat. Giving the meat a short rest after cooking give the proteins time to re-absorb this moisture. This is why if you cut into a piece of meat that’s hot off the grill, you’ll see lots of juice immediately run out of the meat, but if you give it a chance to rest first, less juice spills out.
With extra-tender cooking methods like braising and stewing, your meat will generally be so soft that you won’t need to bother with cutting against the grain. However, for big, thick cuts of pork that have been cooked on the grill or in the oven, you will want to cut against the grain to get your pork as tender as possible before serving it — this is why, at catered events where a large roast is on the menu, the staffer serving it will almost always make thin, diagonal cuts against the meat’s grain.
Butterfly chops Sirloin roasts Sirloin cutlets Loin chops Loin roasts
On its own In sliced pieces or “medallions” In a wrapped-up “roast”
Baby back ribs Spareribs Country-style ribs Rib chops
Beside bacon and related products like pancetta (Italian bacon), pork belly often isn’t sold at standard chain grocery stores. You may need to visit a butcher or specialty grocer to get a suitable cut of pork belly for your cooking project.
Picnic shoulder Shoulder roasts Butt steaks Boston butt
Cheeks Hocks Trotters/feet Tongue Organs (liver, heart, etc. )
