How come I cannot get my roast pork recipes to slice nice? All they want to do is crumble and fall apart.
What am I doing wrong? Now I have heard that before, and I have even seen it done. The answer is not all that difficult. It is just being cooked too long.
There are some folks, who when just learning how to cook, tend to shy away from the larger cuts of meat. Say, like, pork loin, pork roast, etc. It does not need to be like that. They are not all that difficult.
Just a few things to remember, when you are cooking or attempting any roast pork recipe, remember the weight of the roast or loin. Simply because this is what is going to determine the length of time you will be cooking it.
Most times you will be cooking the roasts between 35 and 375 degrees. The way that you know when it is well done is that the temperature will be 185 degrees f. If you like your pork just a little bit more on the rarer side, then stop at 160 degrees f.
Here is a table that tells you how long to cook some of the cuts of pork:
Time and Temperature Chart Fresh Weight
lbs. oven internal Minutes
Loin–Center 3-4 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 35-40
Loin–Whole 8-15 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 15-20
Loin–Ends 3-4 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 50-55
Shoulder–Whole 12-14 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 30-35
Shoulder–Boned
and rolled 4-6 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 40-45
Shoulder–
Cushion 4-6 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 35-40
Spareribs 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 40-45
Pork Butt 4-6 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 45-50
Ham 10-18 350 deg. f. 185 deg. f. 30-35
One good thing to remember is that the loin is just about the most tender part of the pig. It is very low in fat so you should keep that in mind when you are cooking pork. Use high heat for short periods of time like in pork chops, but when you are using those larger cuts, then go with the lower temperatures and longer cooking times. And as with most large cuts of meat, using a moist heat will realy help it to remain tender like:
* braising
* poaching
* crock pot style
* simmering
The important thing to remember when you are doing any type of roast pork recipes is when you pull it out of the oven, cover it and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before you start to slice it up.
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