Do you know how to cook pork safely?
Many people believe that pork has no place in a healthy diet. If we're talking about pork from your grocery store, then I'd have to agree. However, we get our pork from a farmer we know and trust, who raises his pigs out on pasture, and we prepare it traditionally.
Traditional preparation of pork involved salt-curing followed by smoking to preserve it, or marinating fresh pork in an acidic medium, usually vinegar, prior to cooking. Yet today some people simply cook fresh pork without giving any particular attention to traditional methods of preparation.
The processing of pork in customary ways by salts and acidic marinades makes pork safe for consumption— not only by inactivating parasites, killing off noxious bacteria that may cause food poisoning, and promoting safe fermentations in the meat that add flavor; traditional processing of pork also seems to prevent the inflammatory and blood clotting effects as observed here through live blood analysis, although we do not know why. We speculate that raw pork contains a toxin, unidentified to date, and that heat alone from cooking cannot destroy it, but that fermentation with salt, and also acid plus heat, do so. This toxin in pork, if it exists, is therefore heat-stable and requires further denaturation by salt or acid in order to detoxify it. This is exactly what traditional pork preparation provides. (Source)
So if we're not eating bacon, which is salt-cured, and it's something like basic pork chops or a pork loin, I'll first marinate the pork before cooking with something acidic: either use juice from fresh lemons or limes, a good balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. I'll always throw in whatever herbs sound good, fresh if I have them or dried herbs if not.
It's really simple, I just pull the chops out of the freezer that morning, throw the marinade into a freezer baggie or bowl with the chops, thaw and marinate for a few hours, then fry them up in my favorite pan.
Here's a recipe I made recently that was pretty darn yummy:
Savory Pork Chops with a Simple Rosemary Lime Marinade
Ingredients
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup naturally fermented soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons natural sugar I used palm sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary or dried crushed rosemary
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 6-8 chops depending on how many you're feeding
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl or baggie, mix it around to dissolve the sugar. Add the chops and marinate a few hours or overnight. Fry in bacon grease or ghee or beef tallow until done — when chops are no longer pink. Season with sea salt and pepper as it's frying. Don't overcook or they'll be dry. You could also put the chops into a buttered 9×13 baking dish (season with sea salt and pepper) and bake uncovered at 350* for 30-35 minutes or 'til juices run clear. In the summer you could grill them, but since our deck is covered in more snow that it ever has been before, something told me that Kent wouldn't be thrilled about that idea right now.
- We boiled the marinade a bit so we could use it as a dipping sauce. Not everyone liked it like that, but I did, it had a nice twang!
Let me know what you think!
- More main dish recipes to look over
- Read here about how eating CAFO-raised meat affects you
- Need something to serve for dessert? Try this tasty apple pie recipe!
Amanda says
What about a large roast or sausage? We raise our own pigs on pasture and I haven’t read much on traditional preparations (maybe I should get on that!), but wondering about a larger roast or fresh, homemade sausage? Maybe a salt/vinegar brine for roast, but what about sausage that is not smoked? Thanks!
K says
I have been wondering about the difference in tallow and ghee. Which is better? Are they interchangeable? Should I pick one or use both depending on what I am cooking? I currently use butter and coconut oil for cooking but want to try tallow or ghee. I just don’t know where to start…
KitchenKop says
Hi K,
It just depends on what you’re using it for. I think tallow is more economical because you can buy it in bulk, so I use it in my fryers for French fries, breaded chicken, etc. You could also use it for everyday frying, too, but it does have a “beefy” taste, which is good in some things.
I use ghee for frying when I know my heat will be higher than “medium” because it can handle higher heats w/o burning. I also love the flavor: just like butter!
Kelly
Jennifer says
Any ideas on traditionally preparing ground pork for homemade sausage?
Oregon Chris says
Yeah if you are starting with a chunk or pork you could marinate it first. Remove it, wash it, pat it dry with paper towels, and then grind it. In the grind you could add some spices or get spice mixes from the store. If you mix these into the meat and store them in the fridge the spices will flavor the meat nicely.
ra thompson says
If you get the hog processed and the meat is already ‘ground’ how should you ‘marinate’/ prepare for safe cooking?…(I only get all ground pork and sometimes a few pork chops)
KitchenKop says
@RA – in this case I’m not sure what you could do except maybe just eat it now and then?
Kelly
Heather says
We raised our own pig over the summer, and have been enjoying her all winter. Definitely something we will do again this coming summer!
Sandi says
“We speculate that raw pork contains a toxin, unidentifiable to date…” and “This toxin in pork, if it exists…” Hmmm. I’m sorry to appear skeptical, but I’m not going to change how I cook my local pastured pork based on these unfounded statements, no matter who or where they come from.
Pilan says
these days pork does not have worms in it. At least that is what I have read. I love pork but can only find it in the store.