Pork Guides

Season

Pork is available all year round.

Nutrition

Lean, trimmed pork is a healthy source of protein, thiamin, niacin, B6, B12, selenium, riboflavin, zinc and omega-3.

How to select

Always buy pork from a reputable source, a good supermarket, local butcher or farmers' market.
Choose your cut of pork depending on how you want to cook it. For roasts, the best cuts include fillet, spare ribs, belly joint, loin rack joint and shoulder joint. For barbequing, choose loin steak, spare ribs, fillet and T-bone steak. For pan-frying and quick cooking, try T-bone chop, leg steak, rib chop and loin steak.
Look for flesh that is pinkish in colour and fat that is firm and white.
For best flavour and tenderness the meat should have a small amount of marbling.
Check packages for tears, damage or broken seals. Packaging should not be frozen or show signs of ice.

Tip: When shopping, pick up perishable foods last. Take perishable food home immediately and refrigerate or freeze. If travelling long distances, keep an esky in the car.

How to store

Fresh pork should be stored in the refrigerator or frozen immediately after purchasing. Place the pork at the bottom of the fridge (the coldest part of the fridge) on a dish that is large enough to contain any drips. Make sure the pork is not touching or near cooked meats and other ready-to-eat foods or food to be eaten raw. If the meat is in a cling-filmed tray or vacuum-packed, leave it in the packaging until ready for use. Ensure that the fridge maintains a temperature below 4 degrees Celsius. Pork will keep for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Quickly freezing pork reduces the chance of damage to the texture or succulence of the meat. For ease of use, freeze cuts tightly wrapped in individual portions. Freeze in meal size portions to ensure only the amount needed is defrosted. Use good quality, strong plastic bags and good quality foil to protect meat. Expel as much air as possible. Secure with tape for an effective seal. Each package should carry a label showing name of cut, weight or amount and date of packaging. Don't freeze pork for more than 6 months.

How to defrost

Refrigerator

Place pork on a plate and store at the bottom of the fridge. Once thawed, it can safely stay in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Microwave

Before defrosting meat, remove the freezer bag or wrap to prevent meat sitting in ‘drip’, which will otherwise boil as the meat defrosts causing meat to go grey and begin to stew.
Remove meat from Styrofoam tray, as they are not microwave safe.
Most microwaves come with a pre-programmed ‘defrost’ setting. Refer to your user manual for its preferred setting and timing.
Check the meat throughout the defrosting time. As outer portions of pork mince thaw, remove them from the package. If the edges of meat feel warm, stop microwaving and allow meat to stand for a few minutes or until edges are cold again.
After defrosting the meat it must be cooked right away. Don’t leave it to stand for any length of time at room temperature or in the fridge.

Cuts

Shoulder: Provides forequarter chops, shoulder roasts, scotch fillet and butterfly pork. The shoulder ham, also known as the banjo, is great for curing into picnic ham which intensifies the flavour of the cut. Great served as a rack, cutlets or loin chops. Or can be boned to create loin and fillet steak. The loin is also used for bacon.
Belly: From the underside (belly) of the pig. Its rich tasting meat has a high fat content which helps it cook and give a delicious crackling.
Spare ribs: A very flavoursome cut from the inside the belly. Best marinated and barbecued.
Leg: The classic pork leg roast with the bone-in. Also available as a convenient easy carve boneless roast. And for steak lovers, lean leg steaks.
Pork Fillet: Pork fillet or tenderloin is one of the most prized cuts of pork and consequently one of the most expensive. It is a long thin cylindrical cut often around 6-8cm in diameter.