Why is my pork so chewy?

[Raistlin]

Here's a question for any budding chefs out there.

Pork Chow Mein, with ginger, onion, garlic, and noodles.

Sounds like it should be ok right?

Well, it tastes great.

The problem is that the pork is quite tough.....

Any thoughts on what went wrong?

[Angua]

Either not sliced thinly enough or over cooked (I think!)

[Raistlin]

Sliced pretty thinly, might be overcooked then..... Should have put the onions in sooner.

Thanks for that :)

[AndrewJ]

*boing* rubber chops anyone?


*hides*

[Maggy]

I've noticed this about pork recently..I think that the farmers have changed the way they raise pigs or summat.I've given up on pork chops because they are so damned tough.They are very tasteless as well. :erm:

[Raistlin]

*boing* rubber chops anyone?


*hides*

I'll give you flippin' Karate chops in a minute mate :D

[AndrewJ]

:PP:

[Angua]

I suspect the problem is the amount of water that is pumped in:disturbd:

[zing_deleted]

how did you slice the pork? did you go with the grain or against? if you cut against the grain the connective tissues tighten and make the meat tough(specially when cooked quick). Obviously as mentioned over cooking can do this also

[Raistlin]

I didn't, it was sliced when I bought it.....that could be the cause then...

[purenuman]

Why is my pork so chewy?

I soooo thought this would be a dodgy thread........

..........It's why I'm here! :D :angel:

[Raistlin]

Awww C'mon..... you should know me better than that by now ;)

[purenuman]

Awww C'mon..... you should know me better than that by now ;)

I'm off to find a proper smutty thread!!!

.....and I'm taking my chewy pork with me :p:

[Jules]

I'm off to find a proper smutty thread!!!

.....and I'm taking my chewy pork with me :p:


Oh the things i could say to that......... :angel:

Pork gets chewy if it is over cooked but I have also noticed that it is getting chewier

[makikomi]

Just an idea that my Dad heard about when he was in the USA.

He went out to eat and had a large steak which was gorgeously tender. He asked how they managed to make it so tender, and the chef came out to see him.

Apparently, the chef squeezes lemon juice on the steak and leaves it to soak in before cooking it. It helps the meat to relax/loosen, meaning that it wasn't chewy when cooked.

Maybe the same idea might work with pork?

[Raistlin]

Hmm.....

Now there's an idea. The lemon (being acidic) probably breaks down some of the fibrous bonds.

Not sure it would work well in the dish that I'm cooking but maybe I could use something else?

[nffc]

Cook it slooooooooooooooooowly... works a treat.

[homealone]

Interesting question, the 'cut' of meat is one variable - different bits of a pig are tougher, than others.

Older animals would be tougher, but pigs all tend to be slaughtered when they reach a given weight, so are, usually, relatively young.

So I think it is, basically, down to overcooking - 'modern' pork is very lean & does toughen up considerably, if overcooked. The adage that pork should 'always' be overcooked is much less relevant, these days - (the main risk is trichinosis, the agent for which is destroyed at about 65-70°C)

;)

[Raistlin]

Cook it slooooooooooooooooowly... works a treat.

Kinda goes against the idea of a stir-fry, although I know what you mean :tu:

[homealone]

Hmm.....

Now there's an idea. The lemon (being acidic) probably breaks down some of the fibrous bonds.

Not sure it would work well in the dish that I'm cooking but maybe I could use something else?

fresh (not pasteurised) pineapple juice will tenderise meat, as will paw paw (papaya) - you can even go too far & get it too soft - use as a marinade before cooking ;)

[Raistlin]

" Why is my pork so chewy?"

I thought this was going to be a thread about Pron, so i just left it :D :naughty: :naughty: :naughty:

Nah the title of that thread would have been:

Why can't I chew my pork?

[budwieser]

Nah the title of that thread would have been:

Why can't I chew my pork?

Lol!:D :D

[ellie]

Why is my pork so chewy?

I soooo thought this would be a dodgy thread........

..........It's why I'm here! https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/10/3.gif https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/10/28.gif

Yep, when I saw the title my mind was where numans was too https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/09/1.gif https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/10/3.gif

But seeing as I dont eat pork Im outta here https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/07/16.gif

[danielf]

fresh (not pasteurised) pineapple juice will tenderise meat, as will paw paw (papaya) - you can even go too far & get it too soft - use as a marinade before cooking ;)

Interesting. Especially since lemon juice will actually cook sea food (as in ceviche)

[homealone]

Interesting. Especially since lemon juice will actually cook sea food (as in ceviche)

acidic coagulation of protein is not the same as how the papain enzyme works, the acid makes the protein more digestible - the enzyme is, however, 'predigesting' the protein & breaking down the structure of the meat, rather than just getting it to fold differently, as in 'cooking'

[Raistlin]

Interesting. Especially since lemon juice will actually cook sea food (as in ceviche)

acidic coagulation of protein is not the same as how the papain enzyme works, the acid makes the protein more digestible - the enzyme is, however, 'predigesting' the protein & breaking down the structure of the meat, rather than just getting it to fold differently, as in 'cooking'

:LOL:

You missed something out there mate :D

[nffc]

Interesting. Especially since lemon juice will actually cook sea food (as in ceviche)

acidic coagulation of protein is not the same as how the papain enzyme works, the acid makes the protein more digestible - the enzyme is, however, 'predigesting' the protein & breaking down the structure of the meat, rather than just getting it to fold differently, as in 'cooking'

There's also evidence that cooking leads to the formation of PAHs in the food.

[homealone]

:LOL:

You missed something out there mate :D

a life - i know :erm: :angel:

[ian@huth]

The other thing about pork these days is that it doesn't crackle the same as it used to. You used to get really good crackling all the time but now half the time it just stays rubbery no matter what you do.

[Raistlin]

:LOL:

You missed something out there mate :D

a life - i know :erm: :angel:

No, you forgot to say:

"Pay attention, here comes the sceince bit..." :D

[Angua]

Tip for crackling (works most of the time)
Choose meat with dry looking fat.
Chine with a stanley knife (or similar) into fine strips (diamond shape is no good). Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Marinate fat side down in vinegar (I use cider vinegar) for about 30mins or so.
Just before roasting skin side up, pour the marinade over the skin.
Cook in fan oven 190c (gas 5) for 30mins per 500gms plus 30 mins. Increase heat for non fan ovens to 220c (gas 7) for last 20 minutes. Rest for 10 mins before carving.:drool:

[Maggy]

acidic coagulation of protein is not the same as how the papain enzyme works, the acid makes the protein more digestible - the enzyme is, however, 'predigesting' the protein & breaking down the structure of the meat, rather than just getting it to fold differently, as in 'cooking'


Eh?

[homealone]

Eh?

enough key words for you to search, yourself :p:

[nffc]

acidic coagulation of protein is not the same as how the papain enzyme works, the acid makes the protein more digestible - the enzyme is, however, 'predigesting' the protein & breaking down the structure of the meat, rather than just getting it to fold differently, as in 'cooking'


Eh?

Made sense to me!

[Julian]

Tip for crackling (works most of the time)
Choose meat with dry looking fat.
Chine with a stanley knife (or similar) into fine strips (diamond shape is no good). Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Marinate fat side down in vinegar (I use cider vinegar) for about 30mins or so.
Just before roasting skin side up, pour the marinade over the skin.
Cook in fan oven 190c (gas 5) for 30mins per 500gms plus 30 mins. Increase heat for non fan ovens to 220c (gas 7) for last 20 minutes. Rest for 10 mins before carving.:drool:

Sounds like excellent advice although I use lemon juice and salt myself. :)

Biggest mistake people make is putting oil on the skin. :nono:

[Raistlin]

Biggest mistake people make is putting oil on the skin. :nono:

Oh.....I don't know..... ;)

[Angua]

Sounds like excellent advice although I use lemon juice and salt myself. :)

Biggest mistake people make is putting oil on the skin. :nono:

Since stopping smoking I find most things too salty so never use it (helps the blood pressure as well).

[Halcyon]

I'd guess it hasnt been cut properly. If you cut it down the wrong side, you'l get plenty of fibres and nerves.

[andygrif]

Here's a question for any budding chefs out there.

Pork Chow Mein, with ginger, onion, garlic, and noodles.

Sounds like it should be ok right?

Well, it tastes great.

The problem is that the pork is quite tough.....

Any thoughts on what went wrong?

Overcooked and/or cheap and nasty cuts.

I saw on telly last week about fiberous strands, it was to do with a ribeye of beef, but I assume the theory is the same. It suggests that you slice against the threads, then when you bite into it you're biting along them, making it easier to chew.

But I still think you overcooked them!

[Raistlin]

I think you're probably right, almost certainly overcooked.

Cheers.

[STONEISLAND]

Here's a question for any budding chefs out there.

Pork Chow Mein, with ginger, onion, garlic, and noodles.

Sounds like it should be ok right?

Well, it tastes great.

The problem is that the pork is quite tough.....

Any thoughts on what went wrong?

Very simple. You proberbly had shoulder of pork when really you need the leg of prork the tender end. The best part to use is the fillet the part that runs inside the loin, very cheep and will be like butter.

[orangebird]

Cook it slooooooooooooooooowly... works a treat.

Exactly.

I used to be a chef, so I am 'qualified' in this one. Pork is not a meat that should be cooked quickly, or on a high heat - therefore not really suitable for stir fry. Unless you cook it previously at a sloweer pace, and add it cooked already. Try a nice piece of fillet of beef. :tu:

[STONEISLAND]

Exactly.

I used to be a chef, so I am 'qualified' in this one. Pork is not a meat that should be cooked quickly, or on a high heat - therefore not really suitable for stir fry. Unless you cook it previously at a sloweer pace, and add it cooked already. Try a nice piece of fillet of beef. :tu:

And I use to be a pro Butcher. Fillet of pork is the same as fillet of beef just pork.
Its the same mussel. And you can quick fry it. No need to slow cook fillet.

[orangebird]

And I use to be a pro Butcher. Fillet of pork is the same as fillet of beef just pork.
Its the same mussel. And you can quick fry it. No need to slow cook fillet.

Pork is a much more dense meat than beef. Don't cook it quickly, that's my advice.

[andyl]

NFFC and OB are correct IMO re slow cooking thopugh not really pertinent to stir fry. If I may kind of name drop, I have a mate who's a Michelin-starred chef (now that is the kind of mate you want! :drool: ) and he cooks meat slowly on a very low heat in an oven, akin, he says, to a summer's evening in Cairo! His filet of beef and venison are absolutely to die for.

I tried it at home with a pretty standard ASDA pork joint (£3.50 job) and it tasted absolutely ace; so tender and moist.

Anyone who wants a recipe for slow cooked filet of beef drop me a PM.

[zing_deleted]

And I use to be a pro Butcher. Fillet of pork is the same as fillet of beef just pork.
Its the same mussel. And you can quick fry it. No need to slow cook fillet.

So did I servered my time with JH Dewhursts :tu:

[ian@huth]

Anyone who wants a recipe for slow cooked filet of beef drop me a PM.Why not start a recipe thread and let us all see it? :)

[andyl]

Why not start a recipe thread and let us all see it? :)

Well technically it's copyrighted - and I like having a friend who's a Michelin-starred chef!! :)