The food world loves a hot take. Sometimes, a hot take is simply a matter of correcting long-held misconceptions.
“What if I told you the best grilled pork chop in the world is actually not a chop at all, but sliced pork shoulder?” wrote cookbook author and food celebrity Alison Roman. She continued, “You’re going to slice the shoulder into thick steaks, then grill them hot and fast to a perfect medium-rare, and it’s going to be revelatory.”
Roman explained that it’s fine to cook your pork less than well-done. “The inside is left pink, juicy and tender, never chewy or dry.”
At Campo Grande, we’re always banging the drum for medium-rare pork. When it comes to cooking high-quality Ibérico, our motto is: think pink, as a matter of taste, texture, and maximum juiciness.
Here, a closer look at the misconceptions about cooking pork and why medium-rare is perfectly safe and delicious.
Why pink pork has been wrongly maligned
Imagine you’re at Peter Luger’s famed Brooklyn steakhouse. The black bowtie-clad waiter asks what you’re having. Obviously, you order the steak. Follow-up question: how would you like it cooked? If you ask for it well done, you can expect some side-eye. Because everyone knows that steak is tastier when it’s rare to medium-rare. In some countries, like France, it’s not uncommon to order a steak bleu, which means very, very rare—bloody even.
So, why, when ordering pork, do we tend to ask for it cooked until it’s leathery?
Well, concerns about rare pork are grounded in a microscopic parasite that causes trichinosis, a food-borne disease. You can get trichinosis by consuming infected meats, most commonly wild game such as bear or pork. But as it turns out, nowadays those fears are misplaced.
“Trichinosis has become so rare now, ” says food scientist and USDA representative Archie Magoulas, “You don’t hear much about it.” Advances in science and veterinary practices have drastically reduced cases of trichinosis in the U.S.
Bottom line: today, it’s safe to eat pork less than well-done. But there’s one caveat.
“The trick on serving rare pork is the supplier,” says London-based chef José Pizarro. “The Ibérico pork I serve at Pizarro and José is of seriously high quality and out of all my suppliers that one is the relationship I probably nurture the most.”
High-quality pork, like Campo Grande’s pristine Ibérico pork cuts, dispels those fears.
The difference between regular pork and ibérico pork
An Ibérico isn’t your average porker. It comes down to lifestyle. Unlike their cooped-up, corn-fed, industrially-raised counterparts, Campo Grande’s Ibérico pigs live happy lives roaming free and grazing on acorns and other foraged grains. The result is meat that’s rich in healthy fat and delivers a wildly unique flavor—you’ll want to savor that flavor rather than grill it away.
The USDA also has special requirements for raising Spanish pork for U.S. consumption. Spain has been exporting pork to the U.S. for some time. The production and processing of the pork is highly controlled and requires multiple certifications from authorities within the USDA/FISIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service), and USDA/APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).
Reframing pork as a gourmet steak
Pork used to be called “the other white meat,” but we see it more like a high-quality cut of red meat — more Wagyu beef than Tyson chicken.
As long as you’re choosing suppliers with humanely, thoughtfully-raised pigs, there’s no reason not to treat fresh pork cuts, from Ibérico Secreto to Tenderloin Solomillo, like a steak. Keeping your temperatures low, rather than cooking pork up to 180º F, will allow you to savor the nuanced flavors of Ibérico pork—nutty, buttery, and umami-packed.
Don’t believe us? Take it from Chef Manuel Berganza, who is so keen on showcasing the flavors of Ibérico pork that he has a pork tataki on the menu at his restaurant. Or from Chef Guillermo Benjumea, who earned his stripes in the kitchens of Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park, before opening his own restaurants in Spain.
“At Casa Orellana we only use Ibérico pork, which allows for much lower cooking temperature because the meat is much darker and marbled,” says Benjumea. “For example, we serve Presa Ibérica at medium-rare.”
How to cook Pork: In the Oven, grill, and stovetop
Previously, the USDA recommended cooking whole cuts of pork (basically anything other than ground pork) to an internal temperature of 165º F. But based on recent research, they’ve overhauled their recommendations. Now, the USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145º F, with a 3-minute rest time to allow the meat to finish cooking and lock in those savory juices.
What happens when you overcook Ibérico pork steak?
For starters, you’ll hear the rumble of a few Spanish abuelas rolling over in their graves. When you overcook fresh Ibérico pork, you destroy all of the buttery textures and complex flavors that make it unlike any other meat in the world. Luckily, there are various methods for properly cooking Ibérico pork steak that will keep the abuelas resting peacefully.
Looking to get that juicy inside and caramelized outer crust on cuts like Abanico, Pluma, or Secreto? A quick sear on the stovetop or a few minutes on the grill will make it happen. If you’re after a rack of fall-off-the-bone ribs, try slow-roasting them in the oven. And to make those Ibérico flavors sing in a juicy cut of Presa, a quick sear in a hot pan and 10 minutes in the oven will get you there.
But no matter how you decide to cook your cut of Ibérico, go medium-rare. This is The Wagyu of Pork™ isn’t it? Start treating it that way.
If you’re ready to start cooking your medium-rare pork, check out Campo Grande’s Ibérico Pork Box, or build your own box and discover how great pork is supposed to taste. Embrace the rich flavors and tender textures of medium-rare Ibérico, and you'll never look at pork the same way again. That’s not a hot take, just the cold, hard truth.
