Amajor advantage of pork is that it does not need tobecooked well done tobesafe toeat. This opens up pork toavariety of cooking methods toachieve the results you want, including smoking, roasting andgrilling. Medium rare can beachieved bycooking toonly 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. However, astand time should beutilized toallow for the juices tosettle andreturn tothe center of the meat. Use the handy table below for avariety of valuable cooking information.
| Pork Cut | Best Cooking Method | End Temp | Stand Time* | Visual Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chops/Steaks | Grill | 145°F | 3 minutes | Medium Rare (warm, dark-pink center) |
| Grilling Filet | Grill | 150°F | 3 minutes | Medium Rare (warm, dark-pink center) |
| Bacon-Wrapped Pork Filet | Grill | 155°F | 3 minutes | Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Tenderloin | Grill | 145°F-155°F | 10 minutes | Medium Rare (warm, dark-pink center) to Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Loin Roast | Oven Roast | 145°F-155°F | 15 minutes | Medium Rare (warm, dark-pink center) to Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Loin Filet | Oven Roast | 145°F-155°F | 10 minutes | Medium Rare (warm, dark-pink center) to Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Sirloin Roast | Oven Roast | 160°F | 15 minutes | Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Picnic Cushion | Oven Roast | 160°F | 15 minutes | Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Steamship Picnic Roast | Oven Roast | 160°F | 30 minutes | Medium (pink andfirm center) |
| Pork Shoulder | Smoke orSlow Cook | 190°F | 15 minutes | Well Done (falls apart when pulled with fork) |
| Steamship Leg of Pork | Oven Roast | 160°F | 30 minutes | Medium (pink andfirm center) |
*Why is there astand time?
Letting pork rest results injuicier meat. That’s because juices rise tothe surface during cooking. When pork stands, the juices can settle andreturn tothe center. If you slice too soon, you’ll allow most of the juices torun out, creating dry meat —andnoone likes that.
