Cooking Tips for Barbeque Masters: Can Pork Be Pink?

For all the BBQ lovers out there, we’ve answered your inquiries about grilling that sweet meat. This article delves deeply into the question of can eat pink pork and what exactly that means.
By
Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
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Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
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Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: August 09, 2023
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When you’re first learning to cook, meat is one of the most important topics. There are specific safety parameters for keeping, thawing, cooking, and storing meat and meat commodities. One of the biggest is to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through. It means no pink meat.

But are there exceptions to the rule? Always! We’ve got the answers to your questions; can pork be pink? When it comes to cooking meat, there is a common idea that pink equals raw and thus not safe for consumption. That’s not always the case. When it comes to gourmet cooking with steak, duck, and even pork, pink can be safe and delicious.

The secret to delicious pork is heated, but not too much. The main way and the simplest way to make sure that your meat is safe for eating is simply to measure its internal temperature. An internal temperature that’s safe for that specific cut of meat prevents illness as well as brings out the natural flavors of the meat without drying out the cut or overcooking the meat.

Why Do People Avoid It?

People avoid things that may make them sick. Pink meat has been a cause of illness in the past, and simply people avoid those types of things. Color has a lot to do with food prep and the ripeness of the food itself. Many people are also concerned about the process of cooking meat. Many are worried about pink pork leftovers as well. There’s quite a bit of stress about the bacteria development on any kind of leftovers, let alone a delicious pork tenderloin, for example.

Is It Safe to Eat Pork That’s Pink?

Cooking Tips for Barbeque Masters: Can Pork Be Pink?
When it comes to creating delicious meals with any kind of meat, whether it is beef, pork, chicken, fish, or even insects, there are differing levels of safety.

If you take a raw pork chop out of the fridge and chow down like a werewolf, there is a high chance you’ll get sick. The primary concern of eating pink pork is a parasite that was once common in pig farms throughout the united states. Trichinosis, also known as an also called trichinellids or trichiniasis Trusted Source CDC - Trichinellosis - Epidemiology & Risk Factors A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Parasites can cause disease in humans. www.cdc.gov , is a form of parasite like a roundworm. It causes a range of concerning symptoms.

The best way to avoid trichinosis is to cook the meat until the internal temperature of 160°f (71°c).

Now there is only a minuscule risk of catching the parasite from a slice of pork. Instead, there is more community concern for salmonella outbreaks which is a higher risk from vegetables like tomatoes or grapes. Eating pink pork doesn’t’ carry the same risk. Advances in modern agriculture mean that there are much better practices, monitoring, and healthcare for the pigs themselves. Add to the advancements in kitchen and barbequing methods, and there’s an effortless way to avoid these unwanted ailments.

What Do Health Officials and Regulators Say About It?

The CDC Trusted Source Food Safety in the Kitchen | Food Safety | CDC Use these tools to increase food safety in the kitchen and help prevent food poisoning. www.cdc.gov and the U.S. Department of Agriculture both agree that pork needs to be cooked at a specific temperature for consumption. All of them agree that p needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA previously recommended 160 degrees Trusted Source Cooking Meat? Check the New Recommended Temperatures | USDA  Cook pork, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source, with a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. This will result in a product that is both safe and at its best quality—juicy and tender. www.usda.gov without a rest time. They explain that it’s just as safe to cook cuts of pork to 145 º f with three minutes of rest time afterward. These updated and new cooking recommendations reflect the same standards that the agency uses for all its meat products.

What Happens When You Cook Pork to 160°F?

Cooking Tips for Barbeque Masters: Can Pork Be Pink?
The temperature does matter when it comes to cooking pork, like most meats.

Trichinae parasites are killed within certain internal temperatures. This requires 145°f for whole muscle cuts, including loin roasts or chops. On the other hand, it also requires 160°f for ground meats, including sausage, beef patties, and pork sausages. No. Just like any kind of ground meat, there’s a much higher chance of contamination, bacteria growth, and less flavor if it’s not cooked all the way through.

Temperature is crucial when it comes to ensuring meat safety. Meat thermometers are one of the most reliable ways to know the internal temperature of any cut of meat. They’re designed specifically to reach into the center of the meat to get the internal temperature.

Take the 4.9 inches long probing BBQ meat thermometer. With its it2.4-inch knob and long probe, you’re able to ensure the internal temperature of the largest pork loin. Not only is it guaranteed food safe with stainless steel, but it’s useable and effective for all sorts of home cooking, including turkey, beef, chicken, duck, muskox, elk, bison, and so much more. Using this innovative kitchenette tool, you’re able to ensure the main dish of this dinner is up to American health standards!

Can You Eat Pork Rare?

No, you cannot. Even though eating pink pork is okay, eating it rare is not. Pink pork is not the same as rare pork. This is a common misconception. Having your pork, a pink hue is completely fine if it’s reached a safe temperature. Rare pork is underdone pork and can cause health issues such as salmonella, e-coli, trichinosis, and other parasites.

Why Does Cooked Pork Look Pink?

Pork is typically pink because of the type of meat itself. However, the color of your meat can change depending upon the type of meat, cut, cooking method as well as sauces, spices, and savory extras.

Why Does Cooked Pork Look Grey or Brown?

Overcooked meat is the most common purpose. Weird colors, including brown and grey, could be a sign that you’ve overcooked the meat. Overcooking any protein, whether it’s pork, beef, or chicken, can result in a color change because of chemical reactions between amino acids and the proteins themselves. This process is known as denaturing during cooking. Denaturation is a biological term for when the bonds such as hydrogen within a protein molecule are broken, resulting in a looser structure. The interactions between the temperate and the molecule depend on the exact temperature.

Cooking With Pink Pork

Cooking Tips for Barbeque Masters: Can Pork Be Pink?
Bacon has been used in flavorful dishes like creamy bacon penne, chocolate and bacon croissants, bacon-wrapped asparagus, double-smoked bacon sandwiches, caramel bacon ice-cream sundae, and even bacon maple syrup.

Still not fully convinced? Take bacon into consideration. It’s a form of delicious breakfast meat that’s slightly pink. Not only is it safe to eat, but it’s also delectable. When it comes to making the best, most perfectly cooked pork, it takes a bit of finesse. Consider A Weber Grill The next time you’re in the market. These are one of the industry leaders when it comes to barbecuing. And if anyone knows how to cook a perfectly crisp pork chop, it’s the industry leader of barbeque grills. Pork is delicious in countless forms. There is quite a list of recipes that result in a slightly pink to very pink.

FAQS

There are still questions to be answered. Below are some of the questions we’re most frequently asked! Whether you’re cooking a large ham for Christmas dinner or you’re finding the best recipes for a dry pork rub recipe, it’s important to know what you need to about the pork you’re feeding your loved ones.

What Are a Few Official Tips for Cooking Pork?

  • Wash your hands thoroughly before and after prepping the meat. You may need to wash during prep if you’re changing tasks. This limits any kind of contamination to other ingredients.
  • Store all raw meat on the very bottom shelf in your fridge and separate it from fresh produce and other leftovers.
  • Use a food thermometer to make sure food reaches a temperature that kills all bacteria.

Is It Safe to Cook Pork on a Grill?

Of course! Barbeque season is a perfect time to perfect the grill marks on a pork chop! It certainly is safe to grill pork meat cuts on a BBQ. If the pork is grilled to a safe internal temperature, your main pork dish will be mouthwateringly delicious. No barbequing season is complete without the perfect BBQ to ensure a fully prepared and delicious cut of meat. Kamado Joe’s Big Joe’s 24-Inch charcoal grill is one of the tops-of-the-line private home grills from Kamado. Premium grills with added racks ad halved heat deflectors ensure smooth and even heat. This 24-inch charcoal grill may seem small, but it’s definitely not lacking in power. With a cart and side shelves, this is an entire barbequing experience ready to go. The blaze red color is the bright red cherry on top. This Big Joe BBQ is going to bring out the inner BBQ master.

Final Thoughts

Anytime you’re cooking meat, the priority is health and safety. There is a common misconception that all meat must be cooked well done and beyond for it to be safe for consumption. That’s not always true. Most meat will be delicious, cooked well done if that’s your preference. When it comes to cooking with various meat such as beef, duck, and even pork, pink can be safe and delicious depending on the specific cut of meat and the recipe. The exact thing can be said about steaks. Blue rare steak is a delicious and quite common way to eat steak. There are types of meat that can be cooked other than well done while still being safe to eat. In conclusion, yes, it can – pork be pink. Pink pork is tasty.

References

1.
CDC - Trichinellosis - Epidemiology & Risk Factors
A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Parasites can cause disease in humans.
2.
Food Safety in the Kitchen | Food Safety | CDC
Use these tools to increase food safety in the kitchen and help prevent food poisoning.
3.
Cooking Meat? Check the New Recommended Temperatures | USDA
 Cook pork, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source, with a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. This will result in a product that is both safe and at its best quality—juicy and tender.

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