March 28, 2002

Prairie Fare: Hamming It Up

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

I’ve long been a fan of ham, and pork in general. Whenever I was able to influence the holiday menu at home or at a relatives’ home, I requested ham or pork roast. Sometimes I got my wish. So, I was quite pleased to be asked to judge the ham curing contest that was part of the 76th annual Little International livestock show at NDSU.

We judges examined over 70 hams for external appearance, including shape and degree of trimming. After the initial judging, we rated the internal texture and appearance. Finally, we tasted small samples of the 15 hams that received the highest external scores. The top-scoring hams were auctioned to raise money for scholarships. As a reward, I received a ham. I must admit I had my fill of ham that week. My family stopped asking what was for dinner.

In the past pork was often viewed as a high-fat meat, but not any longer. Hogs have slimmed down. No treadmills were involved in the process. Through improved genetics and feeding practices, pork is much leaner today. In fact, pork is over 30 percent lower in fat and 29 percent lower in saturated fat today than 20 years ago.

To make pork and other meats even leaner, you can trim visible fat before cooking and use low-fat food preparation techniques like grilling, roasting on a rack, oven broiling or stir-frying. Marinating lean meat also adds extra flavor, but for food safety reasons it’s best to discard the leftover marinade that has been in contact with raw meat.

To keep pork tender and juicy, don’t overcook it. The recommended safe internal temperature recommendation has changed a bit over the years. In the past, pork was a potential source of the parasite trichinella, but trichina infections in hogs are a rare event today, so internal temperature recommendations have decreased. Pork should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees for "medium" or 170 degrees for "well done," as measured with a food thermometer.

Pork is a versatile item on the menu, and nutritious, too. It provides protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B-12 and niacin, which helps the body produce energy from the food we eat. If you’re on a sodium-restricted diet, remember that any "cured" product like ham or bacon will be higher in sodium because the curing agent is high in sodium. If sodium is a nutritional issue for you because of high blood pressure or other reasons, limit cured products in your diet or consider choosing reduced-sodium products in grocery stores.

When deciding how much pork to buy, remember that it loses about one-fourth of its weight during cooking. An easy rule of thumb is to buy about a quarter-pound of raw boneless meat per person. The Food Guide Pyramid recommends about 5 to 7 ounces of cooked meat or other high-protein foods daily, or about two or three servings. For safety and quality, try to use fresh meat within a couple days of purchase.

As we approach outdoor grilling season, here’s a tasty recipe to try from www.porkandhealth.org/. Try these marinated pork chops with blended wild rice, a tossed salad and fresh fruit with dip.

Favorite Pork Chops

4 pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
3/4 c. Italian dressing
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Place all ingredients in a self-sealing bag; seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to a few hours. Remove chops from bag, discarding marinade. Grill over a medium-hot fire for 10-15 minutes, turning once. The internal temperature should reach 160 F.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 140 milligrams of sodium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu