Family Living
Focus
Nancy Wiker
Lancaster Co.
Extension Agent
Take a Look at Pork
What do extension agents
talk about over lunch?
We talk shop, of course.
“People are looking for quick
and easy ways to cook dinner.”
“Most families don’t know how
to cook a roast.” These were a
few of the comments from our
lunch group a few weeks ago.
Finally, Livestock Agent Chet
Hughes said to me, “You should
do a workshop about preparing
meats, like pork for instance.”
I replied, “I will if you will
help with it.”
So a workshop was bom.
Chet agreed to provide infor
mation about quality
assurance on the farm, discuss
different cuts of pork and how to
select cuts for your needs. The
program will include cooking
demonstrations geared to active
families, quick preparations,
slow cooker ideas, rubs, mari
nades, and more. The evening
will also feature pork trivia and
other games with prizes, and, of
course, tasting the demonstrat
ed foods.
Today’s pork is lean, nutri
tious, and versatile. In fact,
today it is about 31% lower in fat
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and 14% lower in calories than
in the past. Many cuts of park
provide less than 180 calories in
a 3-ounce serving, about the
same as a serving of skinless
chicken thigh. The reduction in
fat and calories is a result of
pork producers making genetic,
feeding, and management
improvements. Today’s hogs are
bred to provide lean meat that
contains important nutrients
like B vitamins, protein, iron,
and zinc.
There are a variety of pork
cuts available. Choose from the
shoulder, loin, side or leg of the
animal. Read the label to identi
fy what part of the animal the
cut is from. As you make your
selections, consider how you
plan to cook the meal. Smaller
cuts cook more quickly, whereas
larger cuts require less atten
tion during preparation. Plan on
about four ounces of raw, bone
less pork per serving.
Add some zest to your meals
by seasoning with marinades,
rubs, or sauces, Pork has a great
flavor that goes well with a mul
titude of seasonings. Rubs are
mixtures of your favorite herbs
and spices rubbed onto the sur
on all
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face of the meat. Season with
salt and pepper, garlic or lemon
pepper.
Marinades are another way
to bring out the flavor in pork.
Create a marinade out of a mix
ture of your favorite spices, an
oil and an acid component like
fruit juice. Marinate the cuts in
a freezer bag or glass container
in the refrigerator for at least 30
minutes, or up to two days so the
flavor can be absorbed, make
sure you discard the marinade
before you prepare the meat.
Sauces like creamy mush
room, or hot and spicy low fat
sauces like salsa or fruit chut
ney, also complement the taste
of pork.
Since pork is lean, overcook
ing will make it dry. The recom
mended final cooking tempera
ture is 160° F, which allows the
meat to be cooked to safe level
and still retain its natural
juices, texture, and tenderness.
Use a thermometer to check for
doneness. To prevent dryness,
baste while grilling or boiling
with meat drippings, fruit juice
or marinade. Be sure to discard
the unused marinade.
You can further control the
fat in meat by trimming visible
fat before cooking using cooking
methods that do not use fats,
and avoid added fats in sauces,
spreads and dressings in the
rest of the meal.
Our family enjoys many pork
dishes. This one is a favorite. My
son can prepare it after school
and have in the oven when I get
home.
Bedding Chopper
Pork Chop Casserole
4 pork chops
cookipg spray
3/4 cups uncooked rice
4 onions
4 slices tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 can beef consomme soup
undiluted
Spray frying pan with cook
ing spray. Saute chops until
brown, add 1/4 cup water to the
pain and cover. Braise for 15
minutes.. Save the liquid.
Put rice in a casserole. Add
thyme and marjoram and con
somme soup. Stir. Place chops
on rice. Top each with a slice of
Birth Center
Annual Quilting Bee
QUARRYVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) Love to quilt? Lend your
talents to a good cause!
Don’t quilt? Come and leant
how!
Birth Cate and Family Health
Services will host an old-fashion
ed Quilting Bee on Thursday,
Pebmaiy 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at the Hoffman Building, Quany
villc. All are welcome to attend
this annual event and to enjoy a
day of fellowship, fun and deli
cious food.
Experienced needlewomen and
novices will join together to stitch
several donated tops. The finished
quilts will be offered for sale at the
birth center’s Annual Benefit
Auction on Saturday, June 5.
A delicious homemade lunch
will be offered at noon. If you
wish, bring fruit or a favorite
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onion and tomato. Pour braising
liquid over the top. Cover and
bake for at 350° F for one hour.
In the winter I substitute a
piece of sun dried tomato for the
fresh tomato. I double the
amount of rice, consomme,
braising liquid and spices when
we are all at home.
For more pork pointers, join
us at our “Cooking With Pork”
workshop on Monday evening,
February 22 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
at the Farm and Home Center in
Lancaster.
The cost is $3. Pre registra
tion is requested. For informa
tion call (717) 394-6851.
goodie to share at the potluck
table. Many wonderful door prizes
donated by local businesses will
be awarded throughout the day.
Children are welcome and child
care help will be available. If you
have them, bring your own tum
ble and scissors.
At this year’s Bee, a Tupper
ware fund-raiser to benefit the
birth center will be sponsored by
Elaine Bledsoe of Golden Eagle
Enterprises. The display will be
available throughout the day and
packets are available in advance
by calling Elaine at (717)
786-7935. Gifts and prizes will be
given to quilters who receive
packets and bring orders.
For mote information about the
Quilting Bee, call (717) 786-4010
or write to the Birth Center at
1180 Dry Wells Road, Quany
villc, PA 17566.
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