Put Pork On Your Fork February, 2012 E-Newsletter
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| February, 2012 Issue 14
February E-Newsletter Winter is in full swing and there are lots of occasions in February to look forward to, including Ground Hog Day, Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl and in some provinces, Family Day. This year is also a leap year, where an extra day is added to the month. To recognize all of these special moments, we would like to dedicate February as “Ground Pork” month. Cook up some comfort with Canadian ground pork and try the Herbs and Spices Meatloaf recipe below. More ground pork recipes are waiting for you at putporkonyourfork.com RECIPE OF THE MONTH Herbs and Spices Meatloaf
Yield: Serves 8-10 Ingredients SAUCE Substitute – Measured Cooking Instructions SAUCE Per serving: 233 calories; 19 g protein; 15 g fat; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fibre; 155 mg sodium Buy Canadian Pork |
 Why does ground pork have to be cooked all the way through, while a roast can have some pink in it? All ground meats – this includes sausages, meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, sauces, soups and casseroles – have to be cooked to well done at 71°C (160°F). This is because with ground meat the potential for contamination is greater. Ground meats have a huge surface area compared to solid cuts, this means that more meat has potentialy come in contact with bacteria. Play it safe, and cook all ground meat products to well, every time. For solid cuts of pork, a touch of pink is both safe and desirable for roasts, chops, steaks and other cuts. Solid cuts have less surface area that is exposed to potential contaminants. Years ago, it was recommended that pork be cooked “very well” to be safe, because of the risk of trichinosis. This often resulted in dry, tough meat. Fortunately, with improved food safety knowledge and better production methods in Canada, trichinosis is no longer a risk in Canadian pork. We now know pork can be cooked safely to (160°F/71°C) or less, which produces a juicy and tender product. When cooked to this temperature, pork may still have just a hint of pink in the middle, for instance inside a cooked roast or very thick chop.  Want to get the newest recipes and learn interesting fun facts about pork? Then don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @porkisyummy! |
