Food and cooking tips and techniques:

Tips & Techniques of the BBQ Guru : The Secret to Grilling Great Pork

An economical way to buy pork is to buy the entire loin. That's right, all 8 - 9 lbs. I can usually find this on sale for under $2.00/lb. Don't confuse this with a tenderloin - same idea but a slightly different cut. You should keep your eye out for tenderloin sales as well, though they seem to be rare.

Our family of four, two young kids, will eat approximately 2 lbs. per meal. So, I cut the loin into three to four big pieces and freeze them. To keep freezer burn off, wrap in plastic wrap and make sure that it is touching the meat in all places. Then I freeze in zip-type freezer bags and take out these individual pieces to eat.

Now, you can cook each of these large chunks or you can cut them into 1" chops or you can cut them into strips for stir fry . . . Ahhhhh the precious pig . . . so versatile yet so unappreciated!

OK, OK enough blathering!!

Following are cooking instructions for the various cuts of pork.

No matter what cut of pork you are fixing, the internal meat temp should be between 145º to 155ºF when you take them off the grill. That temp will go up 5º to 10º while they rest. If you let them cook any more than that, they will dry out. (Not to worry, trichinae is killed off at 137ºF).

Before grilling, always brush with oil to prevent sticking.

Chops:

• Just grill like any steak or burger. Sear each side on high heat for 2 - 3 minutes and then turn heat to medium and finish cooking.

Regular loin:

• Sear at 450ºF on each side for 5 minutes, turn heat to 400ºF and cook for an additional 40 - 50 minutes.

Tenderloin:

• Sear each side at 450ºF, turn down to 400ºF and cook an additional 15 - 20 minutes.

When finished grilling, always let the meat rest - 5 minutes for chops and tenderloin and 10 minutes for loin.

Kevin
Team Double Smoke

Kevin Taylor is know as the BBQ Guru on the RecipeGoldmine website for his expertise in the art of the Barbecue and Smoking. Over the last twenty years barbecuing has caught on fast in the UK but for most of us it is still an unexplored form of cuisine - a few chops and some sausages.

With the help of Kevin Hub-UK is hoping to bring to you a series of articles and recipes over the summer which will change your way of life and bring great pleasure to you, your family and friends as you enjoy the long summer evenings.

If you have a question or just want to contact Kevin email him by clicking here.

Kevin Taylor is a regular contributor at RecipeGoldmine - click here to visit the website.