Pork - Cooking Tips

It is often said of the pig that you can eat everything but the squeal. The pig is indeed a truly versatile animal and the whole animal, from head to trotters, can be prepared in one way or another.

When buying pork, as with any meat, take advice from your butcher. A good piece of lean pork should be pale pink in colour.  A little fat on the joint will help keep the meat moist for cooking but too much fat is unhealthy. Pork joints can be boned and rolled which makes carving easier but if you have the patience, meat on the bone has a superior flavour.

When you buy a piece of pork for roasting ask your butcher at Saunderson's to prepare the meat for you. Have the rind scored evenly and deeply. This makes for better crackling. There are other ways to improve the crackling - rub a little salt into rind before it goes into the oven and to make the crackling easier to serve remove the rind from the joint before cooking and replace it on top of the meat. This way the crackling is loose when cooked and the scoring makes it easy to cut into strips with kitchen scissors.

Pork should be roasted at about 180°C (gas mark 4) with a 1½ kilogram joint taking around 2 hours. To check when the joint is cooked drive a skewer into the thickest part of the meat to release the juices, which should run clear when the pork is fully cooked.

Roasting is not the only way to cook the high quality pork that Saunderson's serve. Chops and pork steaks can be grilled until the meat is fully cooked. A little browning on the outside is a good thing.

Pork stew is a winter staple and the best way to make a good meal from some of the cheaper cuts of the animal. Stews should be cooked slowly. The stew should have a good stock as the base and you can add your favourite vegetables and herbs to enhance the flavour. The meat should be cut into cubes for the stew pot then allowed to simmer slowly until tender and ready to eat. The gravy can be thickened with a little cornflour if necessary.