To what temperature should I cook my pork?
The National Pork Board recommends that pork is best when cooked to medium doneness - 160° F. on a meat thermometer. Correctly cooked pork is juicy and tender, with a slight blush of pink in the center.
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What exactly is the Tender Sure™ Guarantee?
To understand our Tender Sure™ Guarantee, all it takes is one bite. Our proprietary, deep-basting Tender Sure™ process locks in the meat's natural flavor and juices, so each cut turns out delicious, tender and juicy every time.
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How long can I keep my pork fresh in the refrigerator?
Sealed, prepacked fresh pork cuts can be kept in the refrigerator 2 to 4 days; sealed ground pork will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. If you do plan to keep the raw, fresh pork longer than 2 to 3 days before cooking it, store it well-wrapped in the freezer.
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How long can I keep pork fresh in the freezer?
Generally, cuts of pork, like roasts, chops and tenderloin can be kept fresh if well-wrapped in the freezer up to 6 months. Well-wrapped ground pork can be kept for about 3 months in the freezer.
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What's the best way to properly freeze and store Tender Choice^® pork?
Follow these steps to help assure your Tender Choice^® pork is frozen and stored properly:

Use one of these freezer wrap materials: specially coated freezer paper (place the waxed side against the meat); heavy-duty aluminum foil; heavy-duty polyethylene film; heavy-duty plastic bags.

Re-wrap pork in convenient portions: leave roasts whole, place chops in meal-size packages, shape ground pork into patties. Put a double layer of waxed paper between chops and patties.

• Cover sharp bones with extra paper so the bones do not pierce the wrapping.
• Wrap the meat tightly, pressing as much air out of the package as possible.

Freeze at 0° F or lower.
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What are all the different ways to cook pork?
There are two basic methods for cooking meats: dry heat and moist heat. Generally, dry-heat methods are best applied to naturally tender cuts of meat. Moist-heat methods tenderize less-tender cuts.
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Dry-Heat Methods

• Grilling - There are two ways to grill pork based on the size of the cut:
• Direct heat, where food is placed directly over the heat source, is ideal for small cuts like kabobs, tenderloin, and chops
• Indirect heat, where food is placed on the grill rack away from the coals or gas burners, is perfect for large cuts like loin roasts, ribs, shoulder and fresh ham.
• Broiling - Effective for small cuts such as chops, tenderloin, kabobs and pork patties. Simply broil until the pork is brown on one side, then turn and broil the other side until brown.
• Sautéing - Another good method for small pork cuts such as medallions, ground patties, chops, cutlets and strips. Simply heat pork with a small amount of oil over medium-high heat, and cook uncovered, turning occasionally.
• Panbroiling - Can be used for chops, tenderloin medallions, ham slices, bacon and ground pork patties. Just cook pork in a hot skillet over medium-high heat and uncovered, turning occasionally until evenly browned on both sides.
• Roasting - Perfect for large pork cuts - loin roasts, tenderloin, shoulder roasts, and ham. Preheat your oven to 325 to 350 degrees F. (for pork tenderloin, roast at 450 degrees F.) and cook in a shallow roasting pan until reaching an internal temperature of approximately 155 degrees F. for medium doneness. Allow it to "rest" for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute. Internal temperature will rise approximately another 5 degrees F.

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Moist-Heat Methods

• Stewing - Ideal for smaller pieces of less-tender cuts, such as ribs and pork cubes. Brown meat on all sides in a large, heavy skillet with a small amount of oil. Add a small amount of water, cover the pan and simmer over low heat or in the oven at 275 to 300 degrees F.
• Braising - Generally done for large or small cuts, but traditionally less-tender cuts. Brown meat on all sides in a small amount of oil in a large, heavy pan. After covering meat with desired liquids, cover the pan and simmer on low heat or at 275 to 300 degrees F for 1 to 3 hours in your oven, until tender.

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