How to cook tender Pork Loin by Heather

Pork may taste wonderful, however it is easily one of the hardest meats to cook as it has got a tendency to become tough and dry - yes even when it has been grilled, baked, stuffed or served in sauce.

Why does pork overcook?

Pork is naturally a very lean meat, meaning if you cook it for too long, it will become dry.

Luckily it is possible to cook tender pork loins and ensure that they remain juicy. Simply remember to do the following the next time you cook pork loin:

1. Slice your pork loin into 2cm thick pork loin chops, then snip into the rind/fat every 2cms around the edge of the chop.
2. Begin heating a cast iron grill over a hot grill.
3. Rub some Olive oil into the surface of your pork loin chops and season with a dash of salt and pepper.
4. Pop onto your grill and cook for 30 seconds, then change the position of your pork chops so you get a cross hatch pattern on the surface of the meat. Cook for another 30 seconds, then turn over.
5. Reduce the heat on your grill and cook your pork loin chops for a couple of minutes, remembering to reposition your pork to get the cross hatch effect.
6. Remove from heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes on a warm plate in a warm oven.
7. Serve with salad, chips or roast potatoes with vegetables.

Grilling is possibly the easiest way to cook your pork loin, but you can also roast, boil and bake it.

Now in these instances, getting it right with partly depend on how vigilant you are:

• To roast – I usually do the following when I roast pork loin. First I preheat my oven to 240C, and lightly oil a roasting tray. Next I season my pork loin with salt and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I reduce the heat to 190C and continue roasting for a further 30 minutes (per 500g). Lastly I increase the heat to 240C and cook for 10 more minutes.
  
  
• To boil – this is fairly straight forward and is an easy way to keep your meal healthy. Simply slice your pork loin into steaks, pop into a pan of boiling water and leave to simmer until it is cooked through.
  
  
• Bake – similar to grilling, you will need to regularly turn your pork. I usually set the oven to 190C and cut my pork loin into steaks. I then leave them to bake for 10 minutes, before turning and seasoning with honey. Cook for another 20 minutes or until your pork loin is crispy.

Pork loin is easy to cook once you know how, so give the above methods a try and see how your pork loin turns out.

I’m Heather, I am always looking for quick and fun ways to cook from the easy Chicken Breast to the Pork Loin.