Pork Loin Recipes

If you´ve decided to make one of your favorite pork loin recipes for dinner tonight, you are going to want to make sure you find the perfect piece. Read on to help you select the optimal piece of pork loin available.

1- Choose fresh pork loin if possible. Fresh meat is always better than frozen, and then you don´t have to worry about defrosting it. If you have to buy a frozen one, be sure to check the ingredients. Often time, frozen ones have salt and other additives added.

2- Look for a pork loin that is not full of fat. Fat on the outside is fine, because you can easily trim it. However, if it looks like there is fat throughout, look for another piece. Pork loin is lean, and it is better to find it without fat.

3- A boneless pork loin is easier to cook, and most pork loin recipes call for boneless pork loin. You can buy one with bone in, and use it in recipes that call for boneless, but I don´t recommend it. If you do cook one with the bone, you may want to keep the bone and use it for a pork loin soup the following day.

4- You will need about 300 g per person eating, and remember it is always better to have too much than too little. Leftovers are always a pleasure, and sliced left-over pork loin makes for great sandwiches!

5- Make sure to select a cut that does not look dried out on the edges. If possible, it should be meat that was prepared that very day.

Follow these five steps, and all you´ll have to do then is pick the one you think looks the best. Other things such as organic/non-organic, local, etc. are all up to you. Generally, local is better, but not in all cases. Select the one you think is best, and if you like it, you know you can continue to buy that brand! There are tons of amazing pork loin recipes, so you´ll have plenty of opportunities to try different pieces of pork loin.

Pork is a great food source, and most people don´t realize that pork loin is the best, healthiest red meat you can eat. In fact, it is one of the best options available, even when compared to chicken, turkey, and fish.

Here´s why:

• Pork loin is very lean. A 300g piece has only about 11g of fat, which is far less than any cut of beef, and less than other cuts of pork. Pork loin is one of the best meat options you can eat, if you are trying to lose wait or trying to maintain your weight.

• Pork loin is high in protein. That same 300g piece of loin will provide you with 87g of protein

• Pork loin is cheaper than it´s counterpart beef tenderloin.

• Pork loin is extremely versatile. Just like most cuts of pork, you can use all kinds of different spices and sauces to change the overall taste. It can also be cooked in many different ways. Cut up for stews, cooked on the barbeque, fried, or roasted. Just take a look at all the different pork loin recipes, and you will realize how many different way s you can prepare it.

• Pork loin can be paired with all kinds of different wine. The meat flavor is subtle, and therefore the wine pairing is usually determined by the sauce and spices used. Both white and red wines can be used with pork loin.

What is the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin?
Both are muscles that run along the spine, and a part of the pork loin is actually adjacent to the pork tenderloin. The pork tenderloin is closer to the spine, and is a less shorter, less used muscle. It is therefore slightly more tender. Both cuts are very lean, containing very little fat and are high in protein.

Although pork loin is one of the more expensive cuts of pork, it is still a very economical piece of meat, and comes in at much cheaper than a filet mignon, and is often about the same as you would pay for a good quality skinless and boneless chicken breast.

For most people, what it all comes down to is flavor, and there are very few things that can beat out a tender, juicy pork loin recipe with a succulent sauce on top. So stop reading, find a recipe you like, and get cooking!

This recipe is a beauty. Pork loin and chili rarely exist in the same sentence, but this recipe brings them together in lip-smacking harmony. Not only is this recipe unique, hearty and incredibly tasty, it is also healthier than a typical chili that uses ground beef. If you are looking for a traditional chili, look elsewhere, because this is anything but. If you are looking for something different to wow your friends or family, you’ve got to give this a try!

Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil – you can substitute other cooking oil if necessary)
1 lb pork loin (fat removed, and cut into ½ inch cubes)
2 spicy Italian sausages (optional)
1 large purple onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small jalapeno peppers, seeded, rinsed, and minced
1 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ cup black coffee
¼ cup bourbon or Irish whiskey
1 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with juice
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp flour
Fresh coarsely ground pepper

Toppings
Sour cream (1 dollop per serving)
1 cup grated cheddar

Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add pork and sausages, and cook until seared on all sides. Remove the pork from the saucepan, and set aside.

Add the onion into the pot that has the juice from the pork, and brown the onions and garlic on low heat. Once onions are clear, add bell peppers and chopped cilantro. If the pot starts to dry up, add a little more oil.

Add brown sugar, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin Worcester sauce and honey. Blend well and cook for a couple more minutes. Sprinkle flour and pepper over the pork that you set aside. Add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Combine well, cover, and simmer for about one hour. The pork should be tender, and flavors should be well blended. The sauce should be slightly thick, and if it is not, you can add 1 tbsp flour mixed until smooth with a small amount of cold water. Let simmer for a few more minutes, and watch as the chili becomes thicker.

Serve chili with sour cream and grated cheese on top, accompanied by some hearty, whole grain or corn bread.

Wine Suggestion
A spicy food like this goes best with, suprisingly, a sweet white.   The best are generally sweet Rieslings and Gewurztraminer (be careful not to buy a dry one, because there are both types available).  It should be served nicely chilled, and you will be amazed at how well the sweetness cuts through and complements the spiciness.