stories : Nagging Question
 |
The New Pink MeatWill I get trichinosis from undercooked pork? |
Do I really have to cook pork until it’s not pink in the middle? How much should I worry about trichinosis?
Not much. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only five Americans were diagnosed with the disease in 2004, and most of them probably got it from eating wild game. (Between 1997 and 2001, 31 reported cases were caused by wild game, while only 8 resulted from eating domestic commercial pork).
In the past, pigs were infected with trichina worms from eating raw meat scraps. Today, most eat grain-based pellet food, similar to dog chow. Organically raised pigs munch grass. It’s illegal to feed raw meat to pigs raised commercially. Hence, trichinosis has been virtually eliminated.
Pork can contain the same disease-causing bacteria as any other meats—salmonella, E. coli, and other nasties. As for how much to cook your pork, go by temperature, not color. The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees, though chefs like Jonathan Zearfoss, culinary arts professor at the Culinary Institute of America, advocate for less. “From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think 145 is well past the desirable temperature,” he says. This will usually be enough to kill off E. coli and salmonella. But be warned: Since today’s pork is very lean, cooking it at a higher heat can dry it out.
Hormel's website says that trichinella spiralis is killed when the meat reaches a temperature of 137°F. But they recommend that most cuts be cooked to approximately 155°F to 160°F. They also state that smaller cuts can be cooked to a lower temperature to prevent them from drying out too quickly, but should be cooked to at least 145°F. With either temperature, they suggest that the meat be removed from the heat source when it reaches a temperature 5°F to 10°F lower than the desired doneness temperature and then be allowed to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving or carving.
Well-done pork is nonsense. Anything that MIGHT be in a piece of pork that MIGHT harm you is kaput at 137 degrees -- and yet the FDA and most cookbooks tell you 165 -175. I've been cooking pink- centered pork for 40 years. It's succulent and delicious and no one's been hospitalized yet!
Oink! Oink!
Carol Sommers
I agree with Ms. Sommers, overcooked pork tenderloin should be a criminal offense. Fortunately, this is the best reason ever to purchase a remote read digital thermometer.
Roast in a moderate oven until the interior temp hits 145 degrees (140 for larger cuts). Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
The leaner cuts of pork also benefit from brining.
OTOH cook pork shoulder in a crock pot until it almost falls off the bone. Mmmmmmm......
Divefan --
You don't even have to go that high -- 137 will go to 140-45 out of the oven. Funny you should mention shoulder; just ordered a family-size hunk of bone-in. That will go in a low over for maybe 4 hours in an 8qt Creuset (sp?) -- white wine and stock to cover/grated onion/garlic etal. BUT THEN WHAT'LL I DO? There's no one here to eat it but me. Come for dinner. Bring a friend!
cs
Good lord, no. American pork is bad enough - far too lean. Cook it nice and pink. I llived in Germany for 5 years - they don't even know what trichinosis is. My favorite breakfast - I'd stop by the metzgerei [butcher] on the way to work and pick it up - was Schweinehackfleish mit zwebeln. That is raw ground pork on a split broetchen [very crusty german roll] topped with chopped sweet onions. It is absolutely delicious.