50 Totally Easy Pork Recipes to Make Tonight (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook pork without it getting tough? ›

Using a brine or a marinade will make your life so much easier. If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade.

Ground pork can be used in a multitude of ways, like making meatballs, burgers, stuffing for vegetables and dumplings, and as an ingredient in sauces, stir-fries, and casseroles.

Brining pork chops is one of the best ways way to guarantee a juicy cooked pork chop. Even a quick 30-minute brine (or up to four hours) makes a big difference. It's not strictly necessary — you can still use this method to make great pork chops even without brining — but if you have some extra time, I recommend it.

Fresh ground pork is also best from the shoulder. The loin is the animal's back muscle from the hip to the shoulder. The loin includes some of the most tender and popular cuts. Center cut chops are from the middle of the loin and include rib and loin cuts.

Ground pork is fresh pork that has been pre-ground and packaged for easy preparation in a variety of dishes — including patties, meatballs, or crumbles. Ground pork sausage looks almost identical to ground pork. But it's been pre-seasoned prior to packaging.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the seasoned ground pork to the skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully cooked and nicely browned. Use the cooked ground pork in various dishes or enjoy it on its own!

Some of my favorite herbs, spices, and seasonings to use as a pork chop seasoning are cumin, garlic, paprika, and chili powder. Some others that go well with pork are sage, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, and coriander. Brown sugar and clove are a great way to add in some sweetness.

What makes pork taste better? ›

Consider Brining

While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

All you'll need to do is pour an entire can of root beer into your slow cooker — or whatever vessel you're using to make your pulled pork — and let the soda work its magic. The sugar and carbonization will work together to flavor your meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender.

After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat. It also helps mellow out the darker, gamier-tasting parts of the butt. This makes enough for a 8 pound pork butt/shoulder.

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Muscle fibers contract and push out moisture as meat cooks. It first starts to happen when the internal temperature reaches 104℉ (40℃) and greatly increases once you hit 140℉ (60℃). This is why ribeyes, chicken breasts, and pork chops turn dry and chewy when you cook them for too long.

And, if you've ever encountered a dried-out, tough, chewy pork chop, that's a telltale sign of overcooking. Follow this tip: The most reliable way to test the doneness of pork chops is by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chop.

But the old method of cooking pork to the well-done stage, offered an excessive margin of safety. And since overcooking shrinks meat fibers and squeezes our juices, overcooked pork is tough and dry.