Pork is a favorite of so many dinner tables and menus for a reason. Typically, it's fairly lean and can still retain a lot of moisture and bring juicy goodness to any plate.
But, that can only happen if you cook it right. Make just one mistake when cooking pork, and it can quickly dry out and turn tough and chewy. To many, this happens so often that they've refrained from cooking pork altogether, which is downright sad. Everyone should be able to enjoy pork and cook it themselves at home. And with these tips, you can too!
1. Cook pulled pork in a slow cooker
No wonder pulled pork is so popular. It's naturally juicy, it's got a ton of flavor and, done right, it can be dead simple. The easiest way to cook pulled pork is to simply plunk the entire thing into a slow cooker and let a small kitchen appliance do all the hard work for you.
Low and slow is key to cooking pulled pork, and when cooked in an oven, it's all too easy to turn the heat just a little too high and end up with dry meat. Instead, choose either a pork butt roast (also called a Boston butt) or a pork shoulder (also called a picnic roast). These two cuts are some of the fattiest cuts of pork and make for a truly luscious dish of pulled pork. Place in the slow cooker with a little water -- about a cup, as the pork will release a lot of its own juices -- cover and cook on low for about six hours.
When the meat is done cooking, remove it as best you can. Again, the pork will be so juicy, it will naturally fall apart as you do. That's okay. Just place the pieces aside and let them rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then grab two forks (or use your hands), and shred the pork into thin, long strands.
2. Never use sharp utensils to turn the meatMany people know that you should never take any cut of meat off the heat and immediately start slicing or carving into it. This will cause all the juiciness to leak out, and leave you with tough, dry pork. The same thing will happen if you use sharp utensils such as forks or knives to turn the pork while it's cooking. This will create holes, allowing the juices to slip out. Instead, when turning pork (or any meat, for that matter), only use spatulas or tongs to turn it. This will keep the juices locked inside where they're supposed to be.
3. Brine, brine, brineAny cut of pork should sit in a brine before it's cooked, and every cut should. To make a brine, dissolve one tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar for every cup of liquid in warm water. Use just enough water to completely cover the meat, and then add things like cloves, lemon rind, sage leaves and bay leaves to flavor it. Let the pork soak in the brine in the fridge for as little as half an hour, or as long as four hours. The brine will soak into the pork, giving it a higher liquid content, and will loosen up the protein fibers that can contract and bind together during the cooking process (a binding that makes pork tough and dry).
4. Go against the grainThe grain of the meat refers to the small lines you can see running throughout it, and you can use that as a guide for getting super-tender pork that's in no way chewy. Simply cut across the grain, not with it. This means cutting in the opposite direction the grain is going.
The grain is actually made up of long muscle fibers, and they tighten during the cooking process, which can make them hard to chew. By cutting across these fibers, you actually break them up. It's a process known as "mechanical tenderization," and it's one of the best things you can do to ensure that you have tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork.
5. Season it twicePork is a lean meat and can be pretty bland. To combat this, seasoning is highly important and must be done twice -- once before cooking and once at the end. If you're using a brine, this will act as your seasoning, so you don't need to add more salt. In fact, you'll need to rinse the brine off the pork. If you're not using a brine, generously salt the pork and let it sit for about 15 minutes before it even touches the heat. This will not only infuse flavor, it will also make the pork more tender. At the end of cooking time, season it with salt once more. Much of the salt you added the first time will disappear during the cooking process, so this step is really just to give it more flavor.
6. Make a pan saucePan sauce adds exceptional flavor to any dish, and it can turn an otherwise boring piece of pork into something elegant. And pan sauces are super easy to make, too. While the pork is resting (and you should always let pork rest), place the pan it was cooked in back on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and then add chopped onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes before adding wine (any color, any kind will do) and let boil for two minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add a cup of chicken stock, let reduce to half, and then whisk in a couple knobs of butter before seasoning with salt and pepper. You'll have a glorious sauce suitable for covering any piece of pork.
7. Don't overcook itOvercooking pork is the best way to kill any pork dish. When it's done, no amount of sauce will save it. Pork should never be cooked past the temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which are the new USDA guidelines. Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork, making sure not to touch any bone when you do. Keep the thermometer in until the numbers stop increasing and wait for it to reach 140 degrees. At that point, you can remove the meat and tent it loosely to rest (not too tightly, as it will steam the meat). The internal temperature will increase five degrees while it rests, and you'll have perfectly cooked pork.
