'pink' Pork

[2Margaret]

I recently had a 'trio of pork' dish at a fine dining type restaurant. The pork loin item was served 'rose pink' with several dots of blood in the flesh. I had always understood pork should be well cooked and was perturbed by its appearance. On asking the staff I was told this was perfectly acceptable in loin of pork, as to cook it more thoroughly would render it tough and tasteless. On speaking to a relative with catering college qualifications I was told that in training students had been told pork can carry a 'harmful worm' so should always be well cooked. Can anyone enlighten me. I must say I was put off by the appearance of the pork but that is probably due to the mantra that pork should always be well cooked.

[vodkancoke]

In my opinion, loin of pork should be served slightly pink. I serve it that way at home too.

[ummmm]

I remember a celeb chef talking about it. If I remember correctly it's something to do with a change in farming techniques that has eliminated the problem.

[ummmm]

I agree with Vodka :-)

[Svejk]

Sounds disgusting,imo.
Each to their own,though.

[vodkancoke]

No it doesn't desktop. Chicken shouldn't be pink but pork is perfectly safe slightly pink.

[sara3]

pigs are pink :@)

[woofgang]

pork used to have to be well cooked in case the animal had parasites(bleurgh) but this is no longer the case. In Holland chicken used to be served pink too, not sure if it still is as its a while since i have been there, I don't think that it caused an epidemic of food poisoning. Properly reared pork is no more likely to cause food poisoning than any other meat although i like mine well done.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Business-Support/The-Surgery-Are-there-dangers-with-serving-pink-pork

the advice about minced meat or meat stuffed or altered when it is raw applies to all meat, as does tool contamination.

[tonyav]

I don't like any meat that's Pink, Pink = not cooked imo.

[DTCwordfan]

pork is far, far better when a touch pink and properly rested to allow the juices to flow through the meat. I can't abide pork that is well done as it becomes tough, only fit to be used on the soles of shoes.

[boxtops]

personally, I won't eat any meat pink - I like mine cooked. I certainly wouldn't eat pink pork or chicken.

[DTCwordfan]

It's about resting meat properly, tony, the meat carries on cooking when you pull it out of the oven and then cover it with alu foil and a t-towel......what one should not see is blood running onto the plate and this can be done even when steaks are cooked rare or extremely rare.

[DTCwordfan]

chicken/turkey the exception to the pink rule but definitely not exempt from the resting rule.....

[Tilly2]

Pink steak is a different story. Scrummy!

[tonyav]

I just don't like any meat cooked rare DT, never have. Some people do some people don't.

[jomifl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_solium
The 'life cycle' section explains it all
If you think the pig on your plate may have eaten faeces from a human with tapeworm then cook it well. However meat being pink does not mean it hasn't been heated sufficiently to kill the parasite. If it has been heated enough to get rid of the 'pink' then it is safe.

[jomifl]

This may help
'The New York City Department of Health requires that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F for a minimum of 15 seconds. So if your pink tenderloin has met that, it should be all right. Yes, pinkish pork can take some getting used to -- old taboos die hard -- but it can be just fine.'

[grasscarp]

I wouldnt want to eat pork that looked undercooked
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html
I watched a tv programme about someone this had happened to from eating undercooked pork and it is still on my mind.

[woofgang]

grasscarp, your link is american, mine which says that pork hasn't had parasites in the meat since the 70's, is British.....