Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, July 30. 2014

What's for supper, Dad?

Grilled marinated pork chops and grilled asparagus with some steamed yellow squash on the side. Here's a tip: There's no need to cook the heck out of a nice 1 1/2-inch-thick Costco pork chop anymore. Trichinosis is a thing of the past. Pink inside is perfect.





Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink at 17:46 | Comments (14) | Trackbacks (0)

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Boy that looks tasty
#1 EriK on 2014-07-30 18:24 (Reply)
How did you marinate those pork chops, and how long to grill?
#2 apple pie on 2014-07-30 19:02 (Reply)
like this: http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-pork-chops-marinade-175264

If grilling thick pork chop, grill like a rare thick steak 5 mins/side) but add 3 or so mins/side if a hot fire.

Has to be pink in the middle, or inedible. Everybody likes a rare ribeye, but nobody eats rare pork. Medium.
#2.1 Bird Dog on 2014-07-30 19:10 (Reply)
Actually some of us prefer our meat cooked, whether beef or pork.
#2.1.1 B Moe on 2014-07-30 19:35 (Reply)
A midwestern farm boy, from a farm a quarter mile from my grandparents' farm, once explained it thusly: those who live on farms, and see livestock up close, want to have their meat well-cooked.
Rare is for those who don't see livestock up close.
#2.1.1.1 Gringo on 2014-07-31 02:31 (Reply)
According to various Pork Producers Trade Associations, in May of 2011 the USDA's Food Safety Inspection service announced new guidelines for the cooking of pork. It stated in part: "Pork can now be safely cooked to medium rare at a final internal cooked temperature of 145 degrees F. as measured by a food thermometer, followed by a three-minute rest time. Ground pork, like all ground meats, should be cooked to 160 degrees F."

Having spent my summers during my teenage years in the 70's and early 80's on a farrow to finish hog farm in southern WI...I know pigs!! Anyone who eats well done meat, simply eats to live...Us med. rare folks live to eat !!
#2.1.1.1.1 Dickie on 2014-07-31 15:59 (Reply)
thank you BD. Will give it a try!
#3 applepie on 2014-07-30 20:14 (Reply)
I prefer beef, pork, fish or fowl to be done, cooked. Raw fish is bait, raw beef is dog food. Don't char it; don't overcook it; better a little dry than bloody.

To each his own. I am neither going to tell you what to eat, nor am I going to tell you how to prepare it. This may not be the case if I am in your kitchen.

"Between 2002 and 2007, 11 cases (of trichinosis) were reported to CDC each year on average in the United States; these were mostly the result of eating undercooked game, bear meat, or home-reared pigs."--from the Wikipedia. I have not vetted this quote.
#4 tennesseered on 2014-07-30 20:24 (Reply)
Well, thank you bird dog. I've been telling people this for years. Pork at 160 degrees is perfectly safe, and much tastier when juicy. A little pink in the "other white meat" is delicious.
#5 Sean on 2014-07-30 22:17 (Reply)
"trichinosis is a thing of the past".

Well--- not if you are eating "free range pork". The new In thing to do is to purchase meat from livestock that was not imprisoned, so you can feel less guilt about eating them.

The whole reason hogs were put in barns with concrete floors is to get them off the ground, because they are less likely to become contaminated with roundworm infestation which results in trichinosis in humans. (the heat will kill any eggs that are entombed in the meat).

Free range chickens and turkeys are a big thing in my area, too. You can always tell when you are coming up on a farm that has thousands of chickens outside because the turkey buzzards, bald eagles and hawks are all circling overhead or sitting on posts outside the fence. Oh and you are immediately assaulted by flies, because organics never use fly control methods.
#6 Fjord on 2014-07-31 06:28 (Reply)
the other reason trichinosis is also rarer is because large scale hog producers feed a pelleted, commercial (corn and soy based) feed. In the past they were fed scraps and human food (including undercooked meat).
#6.1 fjord on 2014-07-31 10:03 (Reply)
BD, at what temp do you remove chops from grill?
#7 archer2010 on 2014-07-31 10:19 (Reply)
Who knows? I never check temps, just play it by ear.
#7.1 BD on 2014-07-31 16:26 (Reply)
Thanks for the inspiration!

I grilled a couple of thick pork chops last night.

First, I marinated them in orange juice for two hours. Then rubbed with some rosemary, then slow grilled over propane for about 20 minutes.

The sugar in orange juice will char easily so the edges get blackened so don't let that mislead you as to done-ness. I'll always be conservative about cooking pork I guess but the long soak in OJ keeps the meat moist.

Served with roasted small red potatoes, salad, and a light red.

Dang, I'm a great cook! (OK, I should say "improving!" rather than great.)
#8 Whitehall on 2014-08-01 14:09 (Reply)

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