Fall in Love with Pork

Embrace the nutritional benefits and discover ways to cook and smoke with pork

By Ann Thelen

If pork had a signature moniker, it would likely be versatile. While its popularity is garnered from being nutritious and delicious, it’s also adaptable to a flavorful spectrum of recipes, cuisines and cooking methods. With versatility the reigning star of pork attributes, its canvas for creativity steps up to vie for accolades.

Whether you’re a fan of traditional American fare or love to incorporate the bold, fragrant herbs and spices found in global cuisines, pork is a cook’s dream. From mild and spicy barbecue rubs to the intense flavors of ginger and garlic, pork easily embraces diverse palettes.

Pork also thrives outside of the seasoning spotlight because it is tender, juicy and delicious with a simple shake of salt and pepper on a favorite cut.

With Iowa being No. 1 in the nation for pork production, access to fresh, highquality pork is just a farmer, grocery store or meat locker away.

Stuffed Pork Meatballs with Romesco

Photo courtesy of Iowa Pork Producers Association.

Meatballs

• 1½ pounds lean ground pork

• Vegetable oil for baking sheet

• ¾ cup breadcrumbs

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry, optional

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

• 40 pimento-stuffed green olives (not large)

• 40 wooden toothpicks or bamboo cocktail spears for serving

Romesco Sauce

• 1 large clove garlic, crushed under a knife and peeled

• 2 jars roasted red peppers, drained

• ¼ cup natural sliced almonds

• 2 teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• ½ teaspoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, chopped

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

To make the romesco:

In a food processor, drop garlic through feed tube to mince garlic. Stop machine and add red peppers, almonds, vinegar, paprika, oregano and salt. Pulse about 10 times until minced. With processor running, slowly pour oil through feed tube. Transfer to serving bowl. Makes about 11/4 cups of sauce. Romesco can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To make the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil large-rimmed baking sheet. In large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, egg, sherry, parsley, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Add ground pork and mix thoroughly but gently with your hands. Using about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture for each, shape into 40 meatballs. Stuff an olive in the center of each meatball, then completely enclose olive. Arrange meatballs on baking sheet.

Bake meatballs for 15 minutes. Turn meatballs over, and continue baking until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to serving platter. Spear with toothpicks and serve hot with romesco sauce for dipping.

Serves: 10 (makes 40 meatballs)

Source: Iowa Pork Producers Association

Nutrition per serving: 230 calories, 17 g protein, 14 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 700 mg sodium, 60 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber

Pork's Powerful Profile

“With a robust nutrient and protein profile, pork can be an excellent choice for boosting immune systems, being part of a heart-healthy diet, helping improve metabolism and fueling active lifestyles,” says Lisa Nolting, student wellness dietitian at Iowa State University and guest dietitian for the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

Born and raised on an Iowa farm, where her parents raised soybeans, corn and pigs, Nolting has had a front-row seat into food production. As a former school nutrition director, she continues to focus on eating for wellness. Nolting highlights several key nutrients that make pork beneficial in diets for people of all ages.

Zinc: “The immunebooster”

A component of more than 70 enzymes, zinc boosts energy development and the immune system. A 3-ounce serving of pork provides 14% of the recommended daily value (RDV) for zinc. When zinc comes from a food source instead of a supplement, it’s easier for the body to absorb and get the maximum benefit of this essential mineral. During prenatal care and throughout childhood, children need zinc to grow and develop properly.

Potassium: "The blood pressure regulator”

This mineral, also known as an electrolyte, plays a major role in water balance, helping maintain blood pressure. The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015-2020) identified potassium as one of the five nutrients of public health concern, meaning most people don’t consume enough of this mineral. Pork is naturally low in sodium and an excellent source of potassium –these two nutrients work together to regulate blood pressure.

B Vitamins: "The energy processors”

Pork contains several essential B vitamins, which help the body process energy from foods. For example, 54% of the RDV of thiamin (B1) comes from a 3-ounce serving of pork. Without this vitamin, the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat would be significantly compromised. Pork ranks among the top choices for this nutrient. Also high in niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine (B6), this superstar protein helps prevent people from feeling run down and fatigued.

A Superstar of Versatility

While tenderloins, chops, roasts, ribs and bacon may attract the most fanfare of pork cuts, ground pork may be the superstar of versatility. An affordable choice, it’s flavorful in meatballs, burgers, tacos, nachos and other mouthwatering dishes.

Ground pork is pork that has been ground or finely chopped. It is unseasoned and usually available fresh with an average lean-fat ratio of 70% lean, 30% fat. It should always be cooked to 160 degrees F for a safe eating experience and to preserve the meat’s quality for a juicy, tender, delicious meal.

Breakfast

Wake up with ground pork by adding it to a casserole, burrito or pairing it with scrambled eggs as homemade sausage.

Lunch

Make a tasty protein meal by sprinkling cooked ground pork on top of your favorite dishes, such as pizza, rice, taco salads or baked potatoes.

Dinner

For busy evenings, ground pork is kid-friendly and cooks quickly. Use pork in burgers, meatballs and pasta dishes.

Pork and Black Bean Nachos

• 12 ounces ground pork

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• Salt to taste

• 8 cups unsalted tortilla chips

• 8 ounces Mexican blend four cheese, shredded

• 15-ounce can black beans, drained

• 4 scallions, sliced

• ½ cup sour cream

• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

• ½ cup salsa, plus more for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, cook pork, stirring and breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, until no longer pink, 5 - 6 minutes.

Remove from heat, add chili powder and salt to taste, then set aside. Arrange 1/4 of chips on a large ovenproof platter or 2- to 3-quart baking dish, then use a slotted spoon to arrange 1/4 of the pork on top. Top with 1/4 of cheese, 1/4 of beans and 1/4 of scallions. Repeat 3 times, making 4 layers.

Bake until cheese is melted and nachos are heated through, about 30 minutes (if the top gets too brown while baking, loosely cover with foil). While nachos are baking, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and some chipotles. Add more chipotles to taste and set aside.

Top nachos with sour cream mixture and salsa. Serve hot, with additional salsa on the side.

Serves: 6

Source: Iowa Pork Producers Association

Nutrition per serving: 570 calories, 26 g protein, 34 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 650 mg sodium, 85 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber

Smoked Pork Ribs

• 1 rack pork loin back ribs (or St. Louis or spareribs)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon per pound of pork)

• 1 cup barbecue sauce

Smokehouse Rub

• 1/4 cup paprika

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 tablespoon ground rosemary

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger powder

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Insert butter knife under membrane on underside of ribs and peel it off. Season ribs evenly with salt.

Place ribs in refrigerator for 1 hour or up to overnight to dry cure.

Pre-heat smoker to 225 degrees F or create a twozone/indirect cooking setup on a kettle grill. An indirect cooking setup is created by placing the coals on one half of grill and placing the meat on the opposite half of grill.

Adjust dampers to control the heat. Once it has reached 225 degrees F, add a 4-ounce piece of wood to coals. Watch grill thermometer, and adjust dampers to keep heat consistently at 225 degrees F. Season ribs with 1/4 cup of Smokehouse Rub. Place ribs in smoker, and smoke for about 3-5 hours for loin back ribs and 5-7 hours for St. Louis or spareribs. To test the doneness, pick up the slab of ribs with kitchen tongs, let it bend over, if it cracks slightly on the surface it is done.

To glaze, brush entire rack with barbecue sauce and place back on the smoker for approximately 20 minutes. For smokehouse rub: In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Put prepared rub in a shaker for applying.

Serves: 4

Source: National Pork Board

Savor the Season with Smoked Pork

When Mother Nature’s paintbrush turns the Iowa landscape into rich, jewel tones and a cool crispness floats through the air, firing up the smoker is a great weekend activity.

Whether you’re a novice or artisan, there are many ways to smoke pork. Delicious, smoky pork can be prepared on a kettle grill, pellet grill, in a dedicated smoker or even on a gas grill.

According to the Iowa Pork Producers Association, the amount of time you need to smoke pork per pound will depend on what cut you choose and how thick it is. Always use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. For flavorful, tender and safe pork, cook whole muscle cuts (roasts, tenderloin and chops) until a digital meat thermometer reads 145 degrees F followed by a 3-minute rest (consistent with U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines). Pork will be a light blush color on the inside.

Jeff Monk is a pig farmer from Waukon and former Iowa Pork Producers Association Hog Wild Winner. The award recognizes pork producers who go above and beyond to promote and educate the public about the pork industry. He has a passion for smoking pork, including his favorite cuts of ribs and loins.

“My secret to perfect ribs is spraying them with apple cider vinegar, wrapping in foil and cooking low and slow (around 225 degrees F). With pork loins, brushing with mustard and adding seasoning creates a juicy, flavorful product,” he says. According to Monk, the biggest mistake people make when smoking meat is overcooking it.

“At the end of the process, you want a tender, juicy piece of meat. Because today’s pork is so lean, smoking to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is optimal. Anything over that temperature will dry out the meat,” he says, adding that planning ahead, patience and taking notes about what works well are keys to successfully smoking meat."

Smoking Temperatures and Tips

Pork chops: 45-60 Minutes, 225° - 250° F (until reaching 145° internal temp)

Spareribs 5-7 Hours, 225° - 250° F

Pork loin: 11/2 Hours, 225° - 250° F (until reaching 145° internal temp)

Pork belly: 4 Hours for Smoke, 225° - 250° F (wrap and cook an additional 3 hours)

Loin back ribs: 3-5 Hours, 225° - 250° F

Pork shoulder: 75 Minutes per pound, 225° - 250° F (until reaching 190-200° internal temp)