Cooking Pastured Pork
Our pasture-raised pork is truly naturally raised without soy for the East Texas (Longview, Tyler, Marshall, Jefferson) and North Louisiana (Shreveport, Bossier) areas. Our pastured pork is clean and wholesome, and is delicious grilled and served with just salt and pepper, or cooked in more complex dishes. You will enjoy cooking pastured pork!
Pork can be savory (like BBQ) or sweet (chops with apple glaze; ham with honey mustard). It can be a combo (sweet and sour pork). In general, pork roasts and chops should be cooked to medium rare to preserve their juiciness. Pork should be enjoyed with the fat, which is a great source of vitamin D when the pigs are raised on pasture.
Here are some descriptions of the cuts we offer to give you ideas on how to use a very nutritious and easy-to-cook meat.
Bacon: This cut is a muscle with lots of fat layers between strands of lean, which means it is very flavorful and full of Vitamin D. “Fresh” bacon is uncured, meaning no salt, sugar, spices, or nitrates have been added, and it is not smoked. It is technically known as sliced Pork Belly.
You can home-cure bacon by soaking it in a salt and sugar water solution for a few days in the refrigerator. We like to add cloves, Liquid Smoke, and other seasonings to ours. Then toss it onto a skillet and cook like regular ol’ bacon! We also occasionally offer pork belly for those who want to try curing and smoking their own bacon.
Pork Loin Roast: This small roast is shaped like a piece of very thick toast (about 1.5-2″ thick) and has a layer of fat across the top. When roasted, the fat cooks into a buttery, juicy layer that makes this roast one of the most enjoyable porky experiences you will ever have!
Pork Chops: Everyone is familiar with this bone-in classic, but if you have never tried pasture-raised pork, you may think pork chops are dry and chewy. Not the case with our pork. Grill them, broil them, bake them, but keep them a little pink in the middle to have exquisitely juicy chops.
Pork Steak: This cut is actually usually a slice through a roast, but it can be cooked in much the same way as pork chops. It won’t be quite as tender and may have a bit more inter-muscular fat, but pork steaks are still great for things like a quick dinner on the grill or homemade kabobs.
Ham: As mentioned, pork is very versatile, and that is true of the hams as well. Most people are only familiar with cured ham in the form of spiral ham for holidays, lunch meat, or country-style ham steaks. We do not have any of that, but we do have delicious, fresh hams that make excellent roasts, especially when glazed with honey mustard and molasses. You can also cure and smoke whole ham at home. We also have cured, smoked whole hams from time to time that will resemble store-bought hams without all the additives and “moistening” injections.
Ham Steak: This cut is actually a bone-in slice of a fresh ham that is nice for a quick meal or for adding to scalloped potatoes, soups, or macaroni and cheese. We often rolls ours around a homemade stuffing, bake it, and slice it into attractive pieces for serving a delicious and inexpensive meal.
Pork Sausage: Our sausage is delicious! It is not too lean, but not greasy either, and has just enough spice. It is raw and requires browning before serving. Our sausages are MSG- and Nitrate-free. We also offer link sausage.
Pork Ribs: A classic for barbecue season! We recommend slow cooking them for a long time with a savory rub.
Pork Roast: You have not experienced Pastured Pork until you have tried a pork roast! They can have as little as some salt for seasoning and are still delicious!
