Pork recipes
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Bacon Recipes (119) |
Pork Blade Recipes (3) |
Pork Medallion Rec... (3) |
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information
The lean part of pork should be pale pink, moist and slightly marbled with fat. There should be a good outer layer of firm, white fat, with a thin, elastic skin. If the joint is to be roasted, get the butcher to score the rind.
roasting
Pork must be thoroughly cooked. Underdone pork can be dangerous. All joints of pork are suitable for roasting, leg and fore end of loin are usually boned stuffed and rolled beforehand.
To obtain good crackling on a pork roast the skin must be deeply scored and penetrate the skin. Rub the skin with vegetable oil and coarse salt, as this will produce crisp crackling. Once cooked, remove the crackling to make carving easier.
boiling
Suitable joints for boiling include salted leg, salted belly and salted hand, all of which are bought already salted.
grilling and frying
Chops of all types can be grilled or fried. If a chop has a thick strip of fat around the edge, cut the fat with scissors 3/4 - 1 inches apart to avoid it curling whilst cooking.
bacon, gammon and ham
Bacon and gammon should be soaked in cold water overnight to remove excess salt, they can then be boiled. Suitable joints are gammon cut, collar and ribs, back and forehock, all of which should be cooked on a slow simmer at 20 min / lb plus 20 mins in a large covered pan.
To roast a bacon joint, simmer for half the cooking time then wrap in foil and cook in a pre-heated oven at 350°F (170°C) gas mark 4. Half an hour before cooking is complete, remove foil and peel off the skin. Score the fat into a diamond shape, brush with honey or brown sugar to glaze and roast at 425°f (220°c) gas mark 7 for the final 30 minutes.
Pork Cuts
Fillet, also known as tenderloin, is the best cut of pork. It has no fat at all, and is naturally the most expensive of all pork cuts. It is delicious partly cooked, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked until puffed and golden and thoroughly cooked.
Sparerib and shoulder joints are fairly lean, and moderately priced. They make excellent small roasting joints. Shoulder may be bought with the bone, or boned and rolled. This cut makes a delicious roast when filled with herb stuffing.
Blade is cut from behind the head, on top of the foreleg. It is an inexpensive joint which is delicious when roasted, especially when it has been boned and stuffed.
Hand and spring is an inexpensive, well-flavoured joint, cut from the foreleg. It can be boned and rolled for roasting.
Belly is often rather fatty, but it can be rolled and roasted for an inexpensive meal.
