How to cook pork until it’s tender
Pork is an important ingredient in daily diet, and its cooking method directly affects the taste and nutrition. How to cook pork tenderly and juicy is a concern for many novices and even veterans in the kitchen. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with scientific and practical methods.
1. Key factors affecting pork tenderness
| factors | Description | solution |
|---|---|---|
| muscle fiber | Different parts of pork have large differences in fiber thickness | Choose tenderloin, plum meat and other parts with finer fiber |
| connective tissue | Contains collagen, which can be softened by long-term stewing | Pressure or slow cook |
| pH value | Acidic environment breaks down muscle fibers | Use natural meat tenderizers such as pineapple and kiwi fruit |
| moisture retention | Excessive heating causes moisture loss | Control the heat and use "low temperature + quick frying" |
2. Top 5 meat tenderization techniques that are hotly discussed on the Internet
1.Physical tenderization method: A recent video demonstration by food blogger "Lao Fangu" received more than 2 million likes on the knife-back slapping method. Slapping the pork against the grain with the back of the knife can destroy the fibrous tissue.
2.Chemical tenderization: Xiaohongshu’s popular notes show that marinating in 0.5% baking soda water for 15 minutes will have a significant tenderizing effect, but you need to pay attention to the dosage.
3.low temperature cooking: The 55°C low-temperature slow-cooking technology recommended by Zhihu Hot Posts keeps the meat fresh and tender through precise temperature control, and is suitable for high-end cuisine.
4.Starch coating method: In the Douyin #kitchentips topic, the combination of cornstarch + egg white has become the most popular home-cooking method with 38 million views.
5.Fruit enzyme method: Weibo Food Super Chat data shows that searches for the method of marinating with pineapple juice increased by 120% within a week, which is especially suitable for pork chop dishes.
3. Comparison of tenderization plans for different parts
| parts | suitable for cooking | Optimal tenderization time | Popular recipe reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenderloin | Quick stir-fry/smooth | 10-15 minutes | Fish-flavored shredded pork (TikTok TOP1) |
| pork belly | Stew/braise | 1-2 hours | Braised pork (popular Xiaohongshu style) |
| Plum pork | Grilled/boiled | 20-30 minutes | Korean BBQ (hot search on Weibo) |
| hind shank meat | Minced stuffing/slow cooking | Requires mechanical tenderization | Lion Head (Bilibili Tutorial) |
4. Scientific meat tenderization process recommended by experts
1.Material selection stage: Choose fresh pork with bright red color and evenly distributed marble patterns. The meat will be best if it has been refrigerated for no more than 3 days.
2.preprocessing stage: Cut along the grain and then slice against the grain. The thickness should be controlled at 3-5mm to ensure even heating.
3.pickling stage: According to the basic ratio of "1 pound of meat + 1 teaspoon of salt + 1 spoon of cooking wine + 1 spoon of water", stir until it sticks to your hands and let it sit for 20 minutes.
4.cooking stage: Heat the pan with cold oil, put the meat slices into the pan and stir-fry quickly. Keep the fire on high throughout the whole process, and take it out of the pan as soon as it changes color.
5.Resting phase: After cooking, let it sit for 3-5 minutes to allow the gravy to redistribute. This is a key step recommended by Michelin chefs.
5. Common misunderstandings and truths
| Misunderstanding | truth | scientific basis |
|---|---|---|
| The longer you cook it, the more tender it becomes. | Only suitable for areas with a lot of connective tissue | Muscle fibers begin to contract at 60°C |
| The more meat tenderizer, the better | Excess will produce a bitter taste | GB2760 stipulates a maximum usage of 0.3% |
| Frozen meat is not tender | Not much difference after thawing correctly | Low temperature and slow freezing can keep cells intact |
Through the above systematic methods and data, I believe you have mastered the core essentials of making pork tender. Remember, good ingredients combined with scientific methods are the key to delicious food. It is recommended to collect this article, flexibly use different techniques in actual operations, and gradually find the most suitable meat tenderization plan for you.
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