Pork

Pork is one of the most widely consumed meats in the world, and also one of the most widely used, as they say, “pork is a pig’s meat”. WHO (World Health Organization) classifies it as white meat, which suggests that compared to red meat, it contains less iron and saturated fats, making it easier to digest. Spain is the fourth largest pork producer in the world, after China, the United States and Germany. 

Pork is very well-rounded and at the same time highly appreciated for its great variety of cuts (chop, rib, loin, sirloin…) and methods of preparation (cured, smoked, roasted, sausages, salted…). 

Preparation of pork according to the cut

Trotters: These are the pig’s feet. They can be cooked, stewed, with vinaigrette, or simply boiled.

Ribs: These are prepared stewed or grilled. They are normally cut into individual portions. 

Loin: It can be baked, fried, boiled, or breaded in small fillets.

Shoulder: It is prepared in cubes and is the perfect cut for making stews. 

Loin head: It is prepared in small pieces which can be boiled, fried, or stewed.

Nutritional value

Pork meat has a very significant amount of minerals, just 100 grams of it contains 7% of iron, 11% of potassium, 6% of magnesium and 15% of zinc. In addition, it is rich in Vitamin B1 and in unsaturated fatty acids, although the amount of fat is the most variable component because it depends on the species, the race, the sex, the cut of meat, the cut being consumed and the diet that the animal had throughout its lifetime. 

Benefits of pork meat

• Pork meat contains omega 3, which protects the heart.
• It is an excellent source of proteins, essential for many bodily functions, including growth, therefore making it highly recommendable for children’s diets.
• It is generally a lean meat, as long as we avoid adding fat during cooking (butter, fried foods…).
• It helps to progressively lower the bad cholesterol and it allows the good cholesterol to increase, since it mainly provides unsaturated fatty acids.

Purchasing, conserving and preparational advice

• When choosing a cut of pork, we must remember that the rear part is considered to be that of the highest quality, whilst the front part contains more collagen, meaning it is more gelatinous. 
• Once home, the meat must be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 to 5 days, and in the freezer for a maximum of 4 months for big cuts, and 2 months for small cuts. 
• You must remember that the smaller the cut, the quicker it spoils, meaning that minced meat should be consumed preferably on the same or next day of purchase.
• It is recommendable to consult with butchers about the different cuts and the best method of preparation of such, to achieve the best results.