Pork

Categories used to group hogs or pigs based on certain characteristics.
Factors used in selection:
- Sex: Important for determining market class and final product.
- Weight: The weight of the animal plays a crucial role in its market classification.

Yield Grade: The efficiency of meat yield from the hogs.
Lean Cuts Percentage (%) by Grade:
- U.S. No. 1: > 60.4
- U.S. No. 2: 57.4 – 60.3
- U.S. No. 3: 54.4 – 57.3
- U.S. No. 4: < 54.4

Meat Inspection Act (1906): Established the meat inspection service under the USDA.
Wholesome Meat Act (1967): Assigned meat inspection responsibilities to each state, which must adhere to federal minimum standards.
APHIS: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; responsible for rejecting diseased meat from the food supply and ensuring sanitary preparation.
Inspection processes include:
- Ante-mortem: Inspection before slaughter conducted by veterinarians or professional inspectors.
- Post-mortem: Inspections to ensure meat safety after slaughter.

Dressing Percentage Formula:
- ext{Dressing Percentage} = rac{ ext{Hot Carcass Weight}}{ ext{Live Weight}} imes 100
Average Dressing Percent by Species:
- Cattle: 60%
- Sheep: 50%
- Broilers: 75%
- Hogs: 72%

Quality Aspects:
- Firmness: The texture of pork is essential for consumer acceptance.
- Texture: Must be pleasing to the palate.
- Marbling: The intramuscular fat that contributes to flavor and tenderness.
- Color: Visual appeal is vital for consumer perception.
- Muscling vs. Fat: Balance affects quality and yield.
- Repeatability/Consistency: Ensuring consistent quality in each product batch.
Safety: Critical for consumer health.

Key Terms:
- PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative): Condition affecting meat quality, typically having a lower pH.
- DFD (Dark, Firm, Dry): An undesirable condition resulting from stress before slaughter, affecting water retention and appearance.
pH Levels:
- Normal PSE pH: 5.2
- Normal DFD pH: 6.2
Boar Taint/Odor: Potential undesirable smell from intact male pigs that can affect meat palatability.
Rendement-Napole: A measurement referring to the yield of cuts from a specific hog.

Details of cuts from the side of the pig, showing various options for consumers.

Cuts specifically derived from the picnic shoulder, a sub-section of the shoulder.

Cuts offered from the rib portion of the loin, including:
- Loin Rib Roast
- Loin Back Ribs
- Loin Rib Chops

Composition breakdown of lean pork:
- Water: 60%
- Protein: 30%
- Fat: 9%
- Ash: 1% (includes vitamins and minerals)
Caloric Value: 212 calories per 100 grams (approximately ¼ pound or 3 oz).

Recommended cooking temperatures and methods:
- Slow Cooking: 300 – 350°F retains more moisture, resulting in juicier meat and less shrinkage.
- Medium Done: 160°F
- Well Done: 170°F
- Rare: Not recommended due to health concerns.

Dry-heat Cooking: Suitable for tender cuts with less connective tissue. Methods include:
- Roasting
- Oven Broiling
- Grilling
Moist-heat Cooking: Suitable for less tender cuts with more connective tissue, methods include:
- Braising
- Cooking in Water
- Stewing: The addition of moisture softens the meat and increases tenderness.
Frying: Used for thin and tender pieces of meat; includes:
- Pan Frying: Requires fat to be added during cooking.
- Deep-fat Frying: Meat is coated and immersed in fat.
Microwave: Not recommended for cooking but can be used for reheating, especially cured pork products.

Methods and Ingredients:
- Salt: Acts as a preservative and enhances palatability by solubilizing myosin.
- Sugar: (sucrose, fructose, dextrose) mitigates the harshness of salt, enhances flavor, and lowers pH.
- Nitrates: (Sodium nitrite (NaNO2), Sodium nitrate (NaNO3), Potassium nitrate (KNO3)) prevent the formation of C. botulinum, give meat a characteristic pink color, and prevent rancidity.
- Smoking: Adds a distinct "smoked" flavor, can be achieved with liquid or synthetic smoke.
- Phosphate: Enhances the water-binding capacity of meat, can increase yield up to 10%, and enhances moisture retention for juiciness.