Oink

Unit 251 Pork 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 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
  CUT Weight Method of Cooking

1 Head 2 kg (4 lb) Boiling

 
2 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
5 Belly 3 kg (6 lb) Boiling,
  Pate & Sausages

6 Leg 7 kg (15 lb) Roasting, Boiling

7 Trotters 1 kg (2 lb) Boiling

  Fillet 1.5 kg (3 lb) Sauté

Internal Cut
  CUT WEIGHT Method of Cooking

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

1 Head Boiling Remove eyes, brain and jawbone

2 Spare rib Roasting Remove blade

Grilling Remove blade, chine and slice

3 Shoulder Roasting Score the rind, bone, roll and tie

4 Loin Roasting Score, bone, roll (stuff), tie

Grilling Remove rind and excess fat, cut into
  chops between rib bones, chine
Shallow Frying May be panéed

5 Belly Pâté Remove rind, bone, cube

Sausages or mince

6 Leg Roasting Score, remove aitch bone and tie.

Boiling Skin and trim, remove aitch bone and
tie (may be pickled)

7 Trotters Added to braises to enrich Scrub, blanch, split

the sauce

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.