Unit 251 Pork Oink Oink

Quality Points The following list indicates the quality points to look for when purchasing pork. Moist, firm and pale pink flesh. There should be no excessive fat. The fat should be white and firm. The skin should be smooth, hairless and undamaged. The carcass should have a pleasant smell.

Pork should be cooked for 25 mins per 450 gms weight and 25 mins over. Pork keeps less well than other meats, and needs very careful handling, preparation and cooking. It may contain parasitic worms, which are destroyed by thorough cooking. Always serve pork well done, never under-cook pork. Pork should be cooked for 25 mins per 450 gms weight and 25 mins over. e.g.to calculate the cooking time of a 3 kg joint: 7 x 25 + 25 = 200 mins. Therefore it will take 3 hours and 10 mins to cook the joint.

Pork joints should be well fleshed without excessive fat. The flesh should be pale pink, firm, finely textured and not too moist. Look for smooth skin an pliable bones. There should not be any unpleasant smell or odours. The handling of pork should be efficient and hygienic.

Storage. Pork is not hung before preparation. Sides of pork should be hung by the leg. Joints should be stored in deep trays, which should be changed daily, under refrigeration 3°C to 5°C for a maximum of 3 to 4 days. The smaller the joint the more rapidly it deteriorates. Frozen joints should be stored in a deep freeze at -18°C with an appropriate wrapping and defrosted in a refrigerator at 3°C to 5°C for 24 hours.

Types of Pigs. There are many breeds of pig reared for food, but they fall into two distinct types. Baconers and Porkers. Baconers are bred to be lean fleshed during early stages. Porkers tend to be fat forming and need longer to mature and form lean flesh. The period from 16 to 30 weeks from birth to slaughter varies depending on the market for which the animal is produced.

Joints And Usage From A Side Of Pork Total weight of a side of pork = approx 25 kg (50 lb) That’s approx ¼ of a side of beef

Weight CUT Method of Cooking 1 Head 2 kg (4 lb) Boiling Spare rib   CUT Weight Method of Cooking 1 Head 2 kg (4 lb) Boiling Spare rib 2 kg (5 lb) Roasting, Grilling 3 Shoulder 4 kg (8 lb) Roasting 4 Loin 6 kg (12 lb) Roasting, Grilling, Shallow Frying Boiling, Pate & Sausages 5 Belly 3 kg (6 lb) 6 Leg 7 kg (15 lb) Roasting, Boiling 7 Trotters 1 kg (2 lb) Fillet Internal Cut 1.5 kg (3 lb) Sauté 2

CUT WEIGHT Method of Cooking   CUT WEIGHT Method of Cooking 1 Head 2 kg (4 lb) Boiling Spare rib 2 kg (5 lb) Roasting, Grilling 3 Shoulder 4 kg (8 lb) Roasting 4 Loin 6 kg (12 lb) Roasting, Grilling, Shallow Frying Boiling, Pate & Sausages 5 Belly 3 kg (6 lb) 6 Leg 7 kg (15 lb) Roasting, Boiling 7 Trotters 1 kg (2 lb) Fillet Internal Cut 1.5 kg (3 lb) Sauté

Joint Method of Cooking Preparation Required   Joint Method of Cooking Preparation Required 1 Head Boiling Remove eyes, brain and jawbone 2 Spare rib Roasting Grilling Remove blade Remove blade, chine and slice 3 Shoulder Score the rind, bone, roll and tie 4 Loin Shallow Frying Score, bone, roll (stuff), tie Remove rind and excess fat, cut into chops between rib bones, chine May be panéed 5 Belly Pâté Sausages Remove rind, bone, cube or mince 6 Leg Score, remove aitch bone and tie. Skin and trim, remove aitch bone and tie (may be pickled) 7 Trotters Added to braises to enrich the sauce Scrub, blanch, split 8 Internal fillet Sauté Skin and slice

Bacon. Bacon differs from pork in that it comes from a different, usually larger breed of pig called a baconer pig, and the meat is cured (salted in brine) and sometimes smoked. Green bacon is a name often used to describe unsmoked bacon. Ham comes from the hind leg of a baconer pig, cut round on the bone.

Gammon comes from the hind leg of baconer pig, cut square on the bone. Bacon should have no sign of stickiness and no unpleasant smell. The rid should be thick, smooth and free from wrinkles. Check that the fat is white, smooth and not excessive in proportion to the lean meat (flesh) which should be deep pink in colour and firm.

Joints of Bacon. Back bacon is cut from the loin of the pig. Streaky bacon is cut from the belly, and gammon steaks cut from the hind leg. The hock and collar are cut from the shoulder and neck (these are tough but full flavoured cuts) usually boiled. The right temperature for storing bacon is 1-4 ºC (38-40 ºF), in a well ventilated carton wrapped in muslin to protect it from flies.

If small cuts of bacon are kept in the lower half of refrigerator. They should be well wrapped in greaseproof paper and on the lowest shelf, as far from the freezing box as possible, otherwise the moisture content of the bacon will be extracted, leaving only the salt. Much of the bacon used today is purchased pre-butchered.

Cooking Ham’s & Gammon’s Hams and gammons must be soaked before cooking to remove excess salt. Hams should be soaked for at least 24 hours: gammons overnight. Weigh the soaked joint, scrub off any ‘bloom’ (green mould on meat face) which is the hallmark of a naturally cured ham in perfect condition. Place the ham in a pan of fresh, cold water, bring slowly to the boil, At the end of the cooking period turn off the heat and leave the ham or gammon in the stock for one hour, or until cool.