Pork
This month, the Crier will be featuring weekly “Food Tips” from Foodland Ontario. We hope you enjoy these interesting facts and tips about buying, storing and using fresh Ontario products.Buying and Storing
Check the “best before” or “packaged on” date before purchasing.
Cook fresh pork within two days of purchase or wrap in an airtight package and freeze.
“Seasoned” pork has been processed using a brine (salt, water, sodium phosphate) solution so it remains tender and juicy even when overcooked.
The loin muscle is tender and lean and yields premium-priced cuts. Use dry heat methods: roasting, grilling or pan frying.
Leg cuts are lean, economical and a good choice for marinating or braising. Schnitzel is best pan-fried.
The shoulder is divided into two sections: blade and picnic. The blade (closest to the loin) is most popular, while the picnic is turned into economical roasts and chops or used to make ground pork and sausages. Moist heat cooking produces excellent results.
The belly is cut up for side ribs, side bacon and processed products such as pancetta.
Bites
All trimmed pork cuts, except ribs, qualify as ‘lean’ or ‘extra-lean.’
An average 100-gram cooked, trimmed serving of lean pork provides: 191 calories, 29 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fat.
Don’t overcook pork – cook to 160°F (71°C) on a meat thermometer.
A touch of pink is safe and delicious, especially for loin cuts.
Pork labelled “seasoned” has been processed using a brine (salt, water, sodium phosphate) solution to create a moist product even when overcooked.
There are no hormones licensed for Canadian pork production. The meat is federally inspected on a rando basis at the packer to ensure the meat is hormone (and antibiotic) free.
When cooking stuffed pork roasts, place thermometer tip in the meat, not in the stuffing.
Trim visible fat before cooking.
Cover a cooked roast with foil and let stand 10-15 minutes before carving.
Slice pork across the grain.
For grilling, “baby” back ribs from the loin are lean, tender and meaty.
Less expensive side or spare ribs, which run along the belly, have more bone but lots of flavour.- Printed with permission from Foodland Ontario and Ontario Pork
