Secrets To Perfectly Cooked Ground Pork
Ready To Cook Like A Chef?
Very few dishes rank higher than perfectly cooked meat. Most home cooks, however, are not confident they can stand toe to toe with a trained chef. Whether you are cooking for yourself or hosting a dinner party, here are our top tips for plating up satisfying and succulent pork dishes!
A Meaty Lesson Plan
Ground pork is a seemingly simple meat counter product… or is it? Let’s grind down to the finer details: how sourcing affects quality, new ways to use it, and a few recipe suggestions!
Sourcing Matters
Any local grocery store should carry ground pork, but did you know that you have more options? You can always ask your butcher to freshly grind a pork cut, like a shoulder or loin, or even grind it yourself at home. This can provide improved flavor & quality as it allows you to control with pieces are being used if you are unsure of the supermarket cellophane packages.
Sustainable family farms also provide top quality pork products, which they artisanally grind. If you want certified humane, evenly marbled pork, consider ordering ground kurobuta from Newman. We even offer farm-to-door delivery, so you don’t have to spend time on a grocery haul!
A Shift In Pork-spective
When most people think of ground pork, they think of breakfast sausage. Be honest, you just did it, too. It can be so much more! With rich, meaty flavors and a tender texture, ground pork lends itself well to a variety of applications: dumpling filling, pasta sauce, lettuce wrap protein, and more! It integrates nicely into dishes from cultures around the world as it often has a mild flavor and blends with all manner of spices.
Get Sizzling!
Want to try a fresh meal with some of our humane ground pork? Try these lettuce wraps!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound ground pork
½ cup diced mushrooms
½ cups diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 head butter lettuce
Lime wedges, for serving
In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable and sesame oils until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pan.
Add the ground pork, mushrooms and carrots. Cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often to crumble the pork as it cooks.
Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
To serve, spoon a generous spoonful of the pork into the center of a lettuce leaf, garnish with lime wedges and peanut sauce if desired.
Go Pig Out!
Now that you are armed with all of the information you need to create a delicious main course, all you need is the ground pork! While your local supermarket might have a considerable selection, there are even more options available to you if you crave a culinary adventure. Consider checking your local independent butcher or getting home delivery from a humane family farm for more unique cuts. No matter which pork you choose, we wish you happy sizzling!