Stupid Vanity About Pork

Rabidralph | Sept. 10, 2010 | Rabidralph

[rabidralph]

I am going to picnic tomorrow and I am bringing some jerk pork that I am making. First of all, I bought two "tubes" of pork loin at the grocery store. The pork is in thick long strips that separate into two strips per package.

After marinating the night before in the fridge in the jerk seasoning, I got home from work and put the pork in a casserole dish and was going to bake it overnight at 200 degrees. This was because it was going to rain and I didn't want to run my electric smoker in the rain.

After an hour in the oven, the skies clear and put the meat on the grill. I was able to smoke it for two hours before the rain came. So I'm back in the house and the meat is in the oven at 350. How long should I continue to cook the meat till it's tricinosis-free?

To recap, it's been in the oven for an hour at 200. It's been on the smoker for two hours and now it's been in the oven for one hour at 350. How much longer should I bake it. It's covered in foil.

Thanks!

[rabidralph]

I don’t mind small, meaningful tattoos but when people get it done all over, they sort of lose their impact. But I have nothing against those who get them.

[dangus]

hmmmm.... i’m hungry. what state are you in. hehehe

[freebilly]

The tattoo vanity earlier this week got about 600 comments. A vanity about pork should get at least a couple hundred....

[bigbob]

Jerk Pork. In Mooslim world that would be like 2 sins in one, wouldn’t it?

[rabidralph]

It’s still juicy! The one in the above picture did turn out a little dry. I think I smoked it for four hours. But it was still tasty. Thanks y’all!

[rabidralph]

Thanks for the info about trichinosis. I did not know it wasn’t big factor in America anymore.

[rabidralph]

Wisconsin

[rabidralph]

LOL!

[rabidralph]

:-( I don’t like honey-glazed pork products.

[rabidralph]

LOL! Thanks!

[Question Liberal Authority]

You should invest in a nice probe thermometer. Time is a worthless measure compared to internal temperature.

For lean cuts like pork loin, you're best off cooking hot and fast. Toughness is caused by the amount of time the proteins are exposed to heat above a certain temperature.

For cuts with a lot of connective tissue, such as a pork butt or shoulder, tenderness is going to be caused by a breakdown of the connective tissue. So low and slow is the best way to cook something like that.

[rabidralph]

thank you for your insights. I just now found the meat thermometer in the drawer :-)

[Washi]

Always go by the internal temperature of the meat; use a meat thermometer, reading the temperature at the center of the thickest part of the meat, not near any bones.

When I smoke pork, I consider it done at 190 degrees, though it's probably very safe at 180 degrees.

[griswold3]

600!??!

[rabidralph]

Thanks!

[ixtl]

Guess I forgot to mention bacon and sausage.

[rabidralph]

LOL! Where did you find that?

[FrdmLvr]

I think it was posted to FR a couple of years ago. I just love it.

[TheOldLady]

Too late now, but next time, get a good digital meat thermometer. After all, you can’t nuke them from space to be sure in this case.

[Drew68]

Trichinosis is pretty much nonexistent in American pork. You can eat loin slightly pink in the middle, no problem.

Yep. Still, pork is probably the most overcooked meat we eat. Fear of trichinosis forces people to cook it until it's like eating shoe leather, tasteless and dry. Then people complain that they don't like pork because it's tasteless and dry!

Truth is, you can "undercook" pork a little and be ok. I prefer chops in a cast-iron skillet, leaving them a little pink in the center. And they're the juiciest, most flavorful pork chops! Been cooking 'em this way for ages and I'm still here to write about it.