It is important to know the temperature at which pork is cooked in order to cook meat properly and tasty. In cooking, there are many ways to cook this kind of meat, so it’s so important to understand all the subtleties, and if you cook it especially often, it makes sense to think about purchasing a probe - a special meat thermometer, an indispensable assistant for any cook.
Cooking pork
Knowing the temperature at which pork is cooked is important so as not to make a mistake when frying meat or grilling it. This will save you time, and among relatives and friends you will be recognized as an enviable and skillful chef.
Pork in the broad sense of the word refers to any meat from a pig, in this case we are talking about smoked, and canned, and processed meat. First of all, this article will focus on fresh pork, which we are preparing to serve.
If you are going to cook meat yourself, then you need to be aware of the main values of pork ready temperature.
Pork ham, neck and chop in the oven are cooked at a temperature of 180 degrees. Consider that for every half a kilogram it will take you about half an hour, plus add another 25 minutes to the entire piece. The same situation is with ribs in the oven, only the temperature should be 200 degrees.
The temperature at which grilled pork is cooked depends on the degree of roasting you want to achieve. For medium-cooked pork, a temperature of 63 degrees is suitable, and for a degree of Well Done, 71 degrees.
The main thing is not to overdo it
Another important factor, because of which you need to know the temperature of the preparedness of pork inside a piece, the maximum preservation of vitamins and nutrients that are contained in the product. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a balance and destroy harmful microorganisms. To do this, it is recommended to cook meat at approximately 70 degrees.
In order to find out the exact temperature at which pork meat is ready, it is best to use a special thermometer, also called a probe.
At the same time, some prefer to cook pork at lower temperatures - both 60 and 65 degrees. Thus, it is possible to make the meat more juicy and tasty, and the most dangerous parasite contained in pork, called "trichinosis", dies at a temperature of 58 degrees.
During cooking, it is important to remember several important factors that will tell you how to determine the readiness of pork. The temperature inside large pieces always continues to rise even after the meat is removed from the heat. It is important not to let a good piece of meat overcook, and this can happen even after you remove it from the heat.
Also, do not forget that a piece of pork in the oven, which was cooked at a temperature of 70 degrees, can remain pink in the center and look like unroasted, but this does not always mean that it is not ready. This may depend on the method of preparation, the addition of various ingredients and spices. Therefore, pink meat in the center does not indicate that it is unsafe for food.
Grilled pork
A common way to cook pork is to use a grill. In this case, dry heat is used to heat the meat due to the close location of the metal rods.
This is a great way to give the meat a delicious and crispy crust. You can use the grill, only this will take more time to achieve the required temperature.
Grilled pork must be kept until finally cooked. Keep the barbecue lid closed to speed up the process. Ready-made pork should be evenly firm to the touch. In this case, the secreted juice is light brown in color, but in no case is red or pink.
If you are not sure what the temperature at which pork is cooked inside a piece, then use a thermal probe.
Chops in the pan
Fry pork chops in a pan over medium heat. The pieces should turn golden brown. In this case, the final cooking time will vary depending on the thickness and size of each chop.
For thin pieces, it is enough to fry for several minutes on each side, but thick pieces may require significantly more time, from five minutes or even more. Each side should turn golden brown. If your pieces are well fried, the chops should become soft inside and crispy outside.
Instead of a thermal probe, a conventional plug can be used to determine readiness. Light brown juice should flow from the meat - this is a sure way to determine that it is ready.
How to Stew Pork Ribs
Before stewing pork ribs, they are initially fried in a skillet. To do this, pour a few tablespoons of oil into a pan, fry for several minutes over high heat. It is important not to achieve that the ribs are completely cooked, you need to give them only a little fry.
But the inner part of the meat should reach the readiness already in the process of stewing for several hours. Stew in a pan in beef broth, which should completely cover the pork ribs. It is advisable to cover the pan with foil and place it in the very center of the oven.
Cooking needs two to three hours, turning the ribs all the time. By the way, there is no need to be afraid that the stew may dry in the oven. It can be left in it even for several hours. The degree of readiness should be checked with a fork. The meat on the ribs should become soft and supple, begin to easily disintegrate. Inside, it may be slightly fibrous.
Universal probe
The inability to accurately determine the degree of preparedness of meat is one of the main problems faced by amateur cooks and professional chefs. A culinary probe can help cope with it.
It is a needle, the end of which is as pointed as possible. It allows you to measure the temperature inside the product at all stages, to determine the temperature of roasting. The universal temperature probe is equipped with a dial with a range, usually ranging from 20 to 300 degrees.
Advantages and features of the probe
A professional meat thermometer has several advantages. The temperature of readiness, which he determines, allows you to be sure that your dish will be tasty, healthy and safe.
Moreover, the thermal probe itself is very versatile. He can determine the internal temperature of not only meat, but also many other products: milk, dough pieces.
The temperature probe can significantly improve the quality of cooking, as knowledge of the exact temperature inside the product allows you to ensure its good and maximum baking.
The operator with the help of a temperature probe has the ability to closely monitor the cooking time by hour, wait until the temperature reaches the required values.
Thermal probe usage rules
In order to use this tool as efficiently as possible, you need to follow some rules that will help you become a real master in the kitchen, a culinary guru.
The probe needle must be inserted into the finished piece of meat only at the stage when the product is covered with a fairly stable and firm crust, when there is already a chance that the pork piece in the oven is ready, but there is no complete certainty about it.
Then on the dial you can closely monitor all temperature changes inside a piece of pork. Once it reaches predetermined parameters, you can safely get the meat out of the oven or remove it from the grill. After that, the probe is removed from the product.
For added convenience, some models of thermal probes may emit a special sound signal when the dish is ready.
When the meat is ready
To determine the readiness of meat, you need to know the exact values at which they need to be cooked.
For pork, there are several recommended values that must be followed during the preparation process. It is required to cook pork chop and roast from minced meat at a temperature of from 75 to 80 degrees, and a ham, neck and pork shoulder at a temperature of from 80 to 82 degrees.
Very different meanings exist for beef. The readiness of the steak or roast beef is determined by the degree of roasting. The steak with blood should be cooked at 45 degrees, the average degree of roasting at 60 degrees, and well-done inside - at 75 degrees.
Veal roast is cooked at 75-80 degrees, and veal legs - at 85-90 degrees.
The lamb leg and back must be brought to 80-85 degrees, and the lamb roast - at 75-80 degrees. Poultry should cook at 85 degrees, and turkey, chicken or duck at 73-75.
Separately, it is worth stipulating the temperature parameters for the preparation of game. The hare back, legs, and ham are baked at 70-75 degrees, the same temperature parameters are used when baking the whole hare in the oven, as well as the backs of roe deer or deer.
Beef, pork or veal minced meat should be cooked at 71-74 degrees, and minced chicken only at 74, not lower.
Accurately determine the temperature of pork cooking you will help a special culinary thermometer. Starting to use the thermal probe in your kitchen, you can no longer imagine how you could do without it before. He will become your indispensable assistant.