8 Juicy Pork Roast Recipes for a Show-Stopping Main Course (2024)

FAQs

How do you tenderize a pork roast? ›

Yes, you can cook a tender pork roast in a slow cooker. Slow cooking allows the meat to become incredibly tender and juicy. Place the seasoned roast in the slow cooker, add any desired liquids or vegetables, and cook it on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.

Brine the pork to maintain moisture by soaking it in a mixture of salt and water, baking soda, vinegar or even milk. You can also pour hot water over the loin to shrink the rind, which can enable better absorption of brine, milk, oil or marinade.

Shoulder (spare rib)

Most often the bone is removed, then the meat is rolled and tied to a neater joint. It has a really excellent flavour, as meat from nearer the head of the pig is always more succulent, with a little more fat to keep it moist.

Brine Them! After you bring your pork chops home, time to brine! Brining pork chops is one of the best ways way to guarantee a juicy cooked pork chop. Even a quick 30-minute brine (or up to four hours) makes a big difference.

A brine is essentially just salt and water. It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out.

Tenting can be suitable for some cuts of meat, but if you want a crunchy crust on your roast, then it's best to leave it uncovered. If you notice that the roasted pork is browning too much, you can lightly cover it with aluminum foil. However, do not cover it for the last 5-10 minutes in the oven.

Low and slow is always the go for a tender pork roast. Depending on the size of the roast and the type of slow cooker, a pork roast is best cooked on LOW for 6-8 hours. If you prefer an oven method, a typical roast will take 3-4 hours in a low (160°C) oven.

Consider Brining

While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.

Why pour boiling water on pork before roasting? ›

Once you have scored the skin (or taken the already-scored roast from the packaging) place your roast skin side up on a rack in the sink. Pour a cup or more of boiling water over the skin. This will shrink the rind, allowing the incisions to open and enabling the heat, salt, and oil to penetrate deeper.

Try a Marinade or Brine. A marinade or brine can introduce more moisture or lots of flavor into your meat before you cook it. A marinade is a sauce that introduces extra flavor to your pork, depending on the aromatics or herbs you choose to include. A brine pulls more moisture into the meat, which keeps your pork juicy ...

Yes, if you cook a pork roast for too long, it can become tough and dry. Pork is a delicate meat that should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat. If you cook it to a higher temperature, the meat can become dry and tough.

Overcooking any meat dries it out. A pork loin roast is more tender and juicy when cooked to medium than when it is well done. If you're talking about a pork shoulder or pork butt, it is best braised low and slow to let the collagen soften. As soon as the meat pulls apart with a fork, it is done.

Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

Use a meat tenderizer or small mallet to break tough muscle fibers, by literally pounding the beef (you can wrap the cut in pieces of plastic wrap to keep this from getting messy). If you don't own a mallet or tenderizer, use a fork to pierce holes into the surface of the beef to help a marinade absorb more quickly.