How To Cook Moist And Tender Pork Roast

Figuring out how to cook pork roast is not the most difficult task in the world. All you have to do is take a cookery book or find a recipe from the internet and you are ready to start. However, cooking a pork roast that is moist, tender and delicious is a difference task altogether. For it, you need to be aware of so many aspects of cooking, say selecting the right type of roast and accordingly arriving on the best cooking method. Then, you have to decide whether to brine the roast or not as well as at what temperature to cook it and for how much time. In case you are unaware of some, or most, of these aspects, this article will prove to be useful. Go through the following lines and know how to cook moist and tender pork roast.

 

 

If you want your pork roast to be juicy, moist and tender, then pay attention while selecting the roast. Majority of the pork roasts are derived from the shoulder and loin wholesale cuts, with fresh ham roasts (the hind leg) being very uncommon and rarely seen. If you have a roast from the shoulder, remember that it contains muscles, connective tissue and lots of fat. It will include the whole shoulder, Boston butt (top of the shoulder) and Picnic (from the bottom).

 

In case of shoulder roast, you need to roast slowly, making the cooking process last for a longer amount of time. The roast from pork loin is considered to be the best. It is derived from the center of the back of the pig, is very tender and does not have too much fat. Amongst the two types of loin roasts, pork tenderloin and pork loin roast, the former is more tender and the latter more lean (almost as lean as chicken breast).

 

Brining is a process that adds to the taste of most of the meat products, including pork. It involves making a solution of non-iodized salt and water (basic brine has 1 cup non-iodized salt and 1 gallon water), to which other flavoring might/might not be added. The meat is dipped in brine solution and the former absorbs the water, and flavors, from it. While most of the soaked water evaporates when the meat is cooked, some of it remains, making the roast moist and tender. Brining helps make a pork roast, especially pork loin roast, more delicious.

 

You can use either of the two methods for cooking pork roast - 'moist heat' method and the 'dry heat' method. The former involves cooking the pork, along with a liquid and is mainly used in case of cuts from the less tender sections of the animal. It helps breaks down the fibers and tissue of meat and is best used while roasting pork in the oven, crock-pot or electric skillet. Dry heat method, as the name suggests, does not involve any liquid while cooking and is best used in a skillet or an extremely hot oven (grill/smoker), over a short duration of time.

 

Along with using the right method, you need to cook the pork roast for the correct amount of time, to make sure that it remains moist and tender. Usually, the cooking time depends on the type of roast, its size and thickness as well as the cooking temperature. On an average, a 2-5 pound pork loin roast should be cooked at 350^oF. On the other hand, 1-2 pound pork tenderloin will be cooked at 425^oF. In both the cases, the cooking time will be around 20 to 30 minutes per pound. You need to cook a 2-5 pound Boston butt roast at 350 degrees F, for 45 minutes per pound.