Pork Loin

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

CarolPa

Executive Chef
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
3,138
Location
Pittsburgh PA
I just watched a cooking show on public television. The guy had a pork loin, 1-1/2 lb. He butterflied it to form a rectangle and pounded it slightly to make it thin and even. He stuffed it with wilted spinach and some kind of cheese, he said use your favorite, and rolled it up and fastened it. He browned it all over in oil, then put it in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. I am questioning the 10 minute time. I don't recall the temp he used, but 10 minutes doesn't seem very long. It looked delicious when he sliced it. Do you think I could just use an instant read thermometer and get it to the desired temp for pork, I think it's 185. I am one who has to have exact directions when cooking something for the first time.
 
I just watched a cooking show on public television. The guy had a pork loin, 1-1/2 lb. He butterflied it to form a rectangle and pounded it slightly to make it thin and even. He stuffed it with wilted spinach and some kind of cheese, he said use your favorite, and rolled it up and fastened it. He browned it all over in oil, then put it in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. I am questioning the 10 minute time. I don't recall the temp he used, but 10 minutes doesn't seem very long. It looked delicious when he sliced it. Do you think I could just use an instant read thermometer and get it to the desired temp for pork, I think it's 185. I am one who has to have exact directions when cooking something for the first time.

Yes, use an instant read thermometer.

NO!!! Not 185º! Pork is properly cooked and completely safe at 145ºF.
 
Yes, use an instant read thermometer.

NO!!! Not 185º! Pork is properly cooked and completely safe at 145ºF.


I believe you, because I know from this forum that you are an experienced cook, but my meat thermometer says 185 for fresh pork, my McCalls Cookbook has a roasting time table and it says 185, and a recipe I have for Polynesian Loin Roast of Pork says 185. Why the big difference?
 
Oh this is what DA said to do with this! I put a stuffing of cabbage and cheese to it, and bake it until it is finished. I bake it for longer than 10 minutes. If it is a larger one, for 20 minutes.

These are very good!

Your friend,
~Cat
 
Seems to me the USDA revised the minimum temp for pork in 2011, but I might be mistaken about the date.
USDA Minimum Temperatures If you scroll near the end, there is a chart.


I bookmarked that chart. I'm so glad I posted this question or I would have stuffed shoe leather! The cookbook I quoted is a very old cook book and I never thought the cooking chart would be outdated. I still don't understand the meat thermometer...it's not that old.

I should probably look up a new cooking chart for other things I make. I might be over cooking everything!
 
I bookmarked that chart. I'm so glad I posted this question or I would have stuffed shoe leather! The cookbook I quoted is a very old cook book and I never thought the cooking chart would be outdated. I still don't understand the meat thermometer...it's not that old.

I should probably look up a new cooking chart for other things I make. I might be over cooking everything!

I have a meat doneness chart taped to the inside of a cabinet door for easy reference. I've attached a copy. :)
 

Attachments

  • Meat Doneness Chart.pdf
    12.2 KB · Views: 197
Last edited:
I believe you, because I know from this forum that you are an experienced cook, but my meat thermometer says 185 for fresh pork, my McCalls Cookbook has a roasting time table and it says 185, and a recipe I have for Polynesian Loin Roast of Pork says 185. Why the big difference?

Seems to me the USDA revised the minimum temp for pork in 2011, but I might be mistaken about the date.
USDA Minimum Temperatures If you scroll near the end, there is a chart.
It used to be believed that 185F was necessary to kill any trichina worms. Modern methods have lowered the number of infected pigs and hogs. Research has shown that lower temps are needed to kill the trichina worms and the safe temperature depends on how long the meat is at that temperature.

Here's a USDA table of temps & times for safe cooking of pork:

Trichinosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Modern pork is very different from the pork of our parents' generation.

Pork from the middle of the last century and before was raised in very different and unsanitary conditions. These conditions fostered the presence of trichina worms. This lead to the fear of illness in consumers which lead in turn to over reaction and overcooking pork. Back then, pork was a fattier meat so a little overcooking didn't result in pork jerky.

Modern pork is a very different animal. It is raised in sanitary conditions and is treated to prevent the growth of trichina. Regardless, it has been proved by the FDA that cooking pork to 145ºF instantly kills any nasties present. In addition, pork has been bred to be a very lean meat so overcooking yields dry and dust pork (most noticeable in the pork loin). This is why brining is now recommended for lean pork cuts like the loin.

Granted, cooking pork to 145ºF results in a pink blush in the meat and, since old fears die hard, this is a huge turn off for some.
 
Actually, in a rolled pork roast, if the filling is juicy, it goes a long way to preventing the pork from drying out.
 
When I stuff thinner pieces of meat like a butterflied pork roast or flank steak, I stuff it with the stuffing piping hot (assuming the stuffing is cooked). Then all I have to worry about is the meat temperature.
 
When I stuff thinner pieces of meat like a butterflied pork roast or flank steak, I stuff it with the stuffing piping hot (assuming the stuffing is cooked). Then all I have to worry about is the meat temperature.


They did say that in the show I was watching. It was just wilted spinach and cheese, so it was not a matter of it being done.
 
Oh this is what DA said to do with this! I put a stuffing of cabbage and cheese to it, and bake it until it is finished. I bake it for longer than 10 minutes. If it is a larger one, for 20 minutes.

These are very good!

Your friend,
~Cat

I assume that the cabbage was precooked? I can see spinach getting done in that short cooking time, but cabbage takes some time to get tender.

Every time someone talks about "pork loin", it seems they are actually talking about pork tenderloin. Given the weight mentioned in the OP, I would guess this is one of those times. I love to grill pork tenderloin. I judge doneness by touch. It gets a good rest before slicing. A little pink tinge in the middle is fine for us.
 
Every time someone talks about "pork loin", it seems they are actually talking about pork tenderloin. Given the weight mentioned in the OP, I would guess this is one of those times. I love to grill pork tenderloin. I judge doneness by touch. It gets a good rest before slicing. A little pink tinge in the middle is fine for us.

Interesting. Every time I hear someone talk about pork loin, I assume they know the difference between loin and tenderloin and mean the loin, unless they say something that specifically indicates confusion.
 
Last edited:
Interesting. Every time I hear someone talk about pork loin, I assume they know the difference between loin and tenderloin and mean the loin, unless they say something that specifically indicates confusion.


Don't assume. In my case it indicated lack of knowledge. LOL I looked up both pork loin and pork tenderloin and the pictures looked pretty much the same. What is the difference? I don't think I have never seen anything in my grocery store labeled as pork tenderloin, but only pork loin. The meat the man on TV was cooking was about 12 inches long and about 4-5 inches in diameter. It had a very small amount of fat on the outside which he trimmed off. In the past I have bought this and cut it into chops as my husband likes boneless pork loin chops.
 
That's a loin alright. A tenderloin is a out 2" in diameter at the thick end and tapers off to a point. It's about a foot long and weighs about 1.0 - 1.5 pounds. It's almost always sold whole and its meat isn't as white as loin meat.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom