Pork is considered the most versatile type of meat. You can create over a thousand recipes with it. Other than that, pork is consumed worldwide. It has tons of delicious recipes for soup, fried dishes, with different variants of sauce, and of course, barbecue.
When you think about grilled dishes, what comes to your mind first? Yes, it’s pork meat. Pork has always been the comfort meat of everyone when it talks about grilled dishes. Almost every cut of it is perfect for grilling. It could be from the rib cut, pork chop, belly part, leg part, and even the whole pork itself, which they call “Lechon” See what pork meat can do? Truly, it is an all-around ingredient for a lot of dishes.
Aside from the fact that it is very flexible, its meat is tender and delicious as well. Although it has been advised that pork must be eaten in moderation, you can still get lots of benefits when you eat it in control. Pork is a great source of high-quality protein, and it also contains vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, and thiamine. In fact, out of all the other red meats like lamb and beef, pork is richer in thiamine which is a type of Vitamin B needed for multiple body functions. So although it always had a reputation for being unhealthier, it can still be an excellent addition to your diet if you are a responsible and disciplined eater.
Enough for the fact checks. Let’s proceed to the main point of this article. Since summer is just around the corner, people have been planning lots of outdoor activities with their family or friends. And as we all know, grilled dishes have always been a staple food for campings, beach parties, and other outdoor trips. So, if you are thinking about what grilled food to prepare this summer, never forget to include pork barbecue recipes with you, as everyone will totally love it.
Here are some easy tips on how to grill pork perfectly;
1. Marinate your pork meat
A good marinade mixture will add extra flavor enhancement and tenderness to your pork meat. Place the meat on a resealable plastic bag that contains the mixture of soy sauce, pepper, salt, sugar, and other seasonings that you would like. It is best when soaked overnight, but submerging it for 30 minutes to 1 hour would do. Marinade mixture will be the main source of the barbecue flavor of your grilled pork.
2. Know the right temperature to set for every pork cut.
Since there are multiple pork meat cuts such as ribs, belly, pork chops, strips, and many more, each part or cut has different required temperatures in order to avoid undercooked or overcooked meat. Always do your research to achieve perfectly tender and juicy final results. Don’t forget to use a meat thermometer to maintain a safe temperature and eliminate guess works.
3. Coat your grates with oil.
There’s a tendency that pork meat can be pretty sticky when it is placed in the grates with no oil, and that often ruins the meat’s form since it would be very difficult to flip the meat. That’s why when prepping the griller, you should always brush some oil in it prior to using it. Actually, this applies to all types of meat aside from pork.
4. Use spatulas or tongs when flipping.
Pork meat is much softer than beef and lamb cuts, so it is not recommended to use sharp utensils when grilling pork cuts. It could easily form a hole in the meat, and these holes will allow the juices from the meat to drip or escape. That is why it is much convenient if you use spatulas or tongs when flipping since it will help the meat to be kept intact during the whole cooking process.
5. Brine the pork meat before grilling
If you want to grill clean and plain pork meat, you can always opt for brine instead of marinating. This is another option for people who do not want their meat to be messy with all the sauces from the marinade mixture. However, this process is often and commonly used in pork chops.
The secret to grilling pork chops properly begins with brine. It is a process wherein you soak the meat in cold water with a salt mixture. The main purpose of brining meat before grilling is to season the insides of the meat evenly and not just on the surface. This process will also secure and add moisture to the pork meat, wherein you won’t have to worry when you accidentally overcook it.
6. Don’t brush your sauce immediately.
When talking about pork barbecue, people will always have their signature sauces since it will totally add a savory element to the dish. However, sugar-based sauces, if applied early or immediately, will have a tendency to burn your pork meat. People often do this because they want the sauce to be absorbed by the meat, but that’s not how it works. Actually, the trick is to apply the sauce during the last minutes of cooking.
7. Take note of the average cooking time
Aside from hitting the right temperature, different cuts of pork meat have their own average cooking time. The time really depends on how thick the meat is. So if you want to perfect your grilled pork dish, always make time to do some research about the right allocation of cooking time for every cut.
Final Words
Grilling pork can be quite tricky. However, it is all worth it when you are able to get perfect results which you can enjoy with your family and friends. As the saying goes, “Good food creates good company”
Just by keeping in mind all the tips and methods suggested in this article, there’s a big chance that you’ll get the right amount of tenderness, juiciness, and smokiness of your grilled pork meat. Enjoy!