26 Delicious Ground Pork Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best pork for ground pork? ›

Fresh ground pork is also best from the shoulder. The loin is the animal's back muscle from the hip to the shoulder. The loin includes some of the most tender and popular cuts. Center cut chops are from the middle of the loin and include rib and loin cuts.

Marinades and Rubs: Marinating pork in a mixture of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even beef broth can add savory and umami flavors that are often associated with beef.

Ground pork is fresh pork that has been pre-ground and packaged for easy preparation in a variety of dishes — including patties, meatballs, or crumbles. Ground pork sausage looks almost identical to ground pork. But it's been pre-seasoned prior to packaging.

Regular ground pork has a 70/30 meat to fat ratio while lean ground pork has a 90/10 meat to fat ratio.

Both pork and beef are high in proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. However, beef tends to have more calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol than pork. Pork may be a better choice, then, if you're trying to manage your blood cholesterol levels.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the seasoned ground pork to the skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully cooked and nicely browned. Use the cooked ground pork in various dishes or enjoy it on its own!

Consider Brining

While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.

Pork in general is a fatty meat, the most flavorful cuts are rich in fat, the cheaper cuts as a rule, the shoulder, the “butt” the picnic are all good to slow cook and they taste oily or fatty and rich. The loin and tender loin are very lean and will be dry if not cooked properly.

Simply mix 1 cup of vinegar with enough cold water to fully submerge the pork (1 cup per quart,) then let it soak overnight in the refrigerator. As the meat soaks, the acidity of the vinegar will re-develop the flavor and tenderize it.

A bratwurst is a type of German sausage that is generally made with pork, beef, or veal. It's most commonly made with pork. I don't speak German, but according to the always correct Wikipedia, brat means finely chopped meat, and wurst means sausage.

Is ground pork healthy? ›

Nutritionally, pork possesses a wide range of essential nutrients like energizing B vitamins, choline for developing babies, and iron for healthy red blood cells. A 3-ounce serving of lean pork is loaded with protein and low in fat. Eating lean pork daily can be a part of a well-balanced, high-nutrient diet.

For the most part, turkey is one of the healthiest meat options available. It's very similar to skinless chicken in terms of its healthy nutritional properties. Both are sources of low-fat, heart-healthy meats. Lean options — like turkey — are always a healthier choice than red meats.

Pigs reproduce quickly and have large litters of piglets. Since they eat like pigs they gain weight fast. So once the profit is taken from the bacon and other prime pork cuts, the ground pork also needs to be sold so the price is lowered.

In addition, pigs' lower transportation costs contribute to the lower price. Pork is also cheaper because the majority of the carcass can be used. All parts of pigs can be converted to different kinds of meat, such as ham, bacon and sausage.

Ground beef tends to be more traditional and typically results in a heartier, beefy flavor, while ground pork can add a bit more tenderness and moisture to the meatballs. Some recipes even use a combination of both ground beef and ground pork for a well-rounded flavor profile.

Ground pork is generally made from pork shoulder or pork butt and sometimes includes some pork loin. Supermarkets or butchers often label it with its fat percentage, similar to the way you'll see ground beef packaged.

But humble ground pork is a star ingredient in its own right—and it can do more than you probably think. Anything ground beef or turkey can do, ground pork can do better. Generally made of ground pork shoulder and trimmings from other parts of the pig, it's often less expensive than beef, too.

*To make ground pork tenderloin, trim a pork tenderloin, slice it into chunks, and use a food processor to pulse the pork 6-8 times until you reach your desired grind. You can also use a meat grinder or knife as seen in my homemade ground chicken guide.

Making homemade ground pork tenderloin could save a whopping 64 grams of fat and 576 calories per pound when substituted for 80% lean ground pork.