Many of my recipes will be from The Butchery. We’ve got our own little butcher shop at our home in Gulu spurred on by my hubby, Jesse and a colleague, Jeff. These days the weekends are all about butchering in our little kitchen. Right now we are dabbling mostly in pork – since the beef here tends to be a little iffy, and guaranteeing a “fresh kill” is much easier with pork than some other meat. It seems that most of the other ex-pats in Gulu are a bit fearful of pork, perhaps from bad experiences in local settings. But we have been seriously living the good life with the pork cooking up in my kitchen.
So, to begin with…here are some keys to cooking perfect pork, whatever cut you might have to work with (and we’ve got most of those cuts available in our freezer for sale, by the way!) The best place to start is with a meat thermometer. Since pork is a white meat, you want to be sure that it is cooked all the way through, however it has a tendency to dry out quickly so you don’t want to overcook. A meat thermometer is your best chance at the perfect pork without having to test-cut it open while loosing all the juices.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, here’s a good rule of thumb for temperatures and cooking times to ensure proper cooking. And even if you do have a thermometer, this will be helpful in keeping track of what’s in your oven or on your stovetop.
ROASTING
Place meat fat side up. Roast at 325F (160C) unless it says otherwise.
- Ribs
Ribs are your exception for taking internal temperatures. Ribs need about 1.5 – 2 hours at 350F (175C). They will cook through pretty quickly but need a slow cook to get nice and tender.
- Loin or Rump Roast
| WEIGHT | APPROX.ROAST TIME | TEMP TO REMOVE FROM OVEN | FINAL RESTING TEMPERATURE |
| 1.5 – 2 lbs (0.68 – 0.9 kg) | ¾ to 1 ¼ hours | 155F (68C) | 160F (71C) |
| 2 – 3 lbs (0.9 – 1.3 kg) | 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ hours | 155F (68C) | 160F (71C) |
| 3 – 4 lbs (1.3 – 1.8 kg) | 1 ½ to 2 ¼ hours | 155F (68C) | 160F (71C) |
| 4 – 5 lbs (1.8 – 2.2 kg) | 2 to 2 ½ hours | 155F (68C) | 160F (71C) |
- Tenderloin (3/4 lb – 1 lb (.35 kg – .45 kg))
Roast at 425F (220C) for 25 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven when the internal temperature reads 155F (68C) with a final resting temperature of 160F (71C).
SKILLET COOKING
When cooking in a skillet, be sure to choose the right size pan for the amount of meat you have. If your skillet is too large, the pan juices can burn. Use a heavy nonstick skillet or lightly oil a heavy skillet and preheat it over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the meat. Do not add any liquid and do not cover the skillet. Reduce to medium heat and cook until done (see times below), turning meat occasionally. If the meat browns too quickly, then reduce the heat a bit.
- Chops (loin or rib, with bone or boneless) – For chops 3/4 to 1 inch thick, cook for 8 to 12 minutes. Temperature should read 160F (71C) when done.
- Cutlet – For cutlets 1/4 inch thick, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Again, temperature should read 160F (71C) when done.
- Tenderloin medallions – For medallions 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, cook for 4 to 8 minutes. No surprises – need a temperature of 160F (71C) to be done.
GRILLING
For a charcoal grill, place meat directly on grill rack over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, following the chart below.
| CUT | THICKNESS | APPROX DIRECT GRILLING TIME | DONENESS |
| Chop with bone | ¾ to 1 inch | 12 – 14 minutes | 160F (71C) |
| Chop with bone | 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch | 18 – 22 minutes | 160F (71C) |
| Boneless Chop | ¾ to 1 inch | 11 – 13 minutes | 160F (71C) |
| Boneless Chop | 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch | 17 – 21 minutes | 160F (71C) |
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Gulu Gourmet 