# What is the best way to cook Iberico pork?



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

What is the best way to cook Iberico pork? (The purple marbled kind, from the pigs that mostly eat acorns)

Should this be cooked medium rare?

Should it be marinaded?

Any idea roughly how much this would cost in Spain from a butcher? (It will be there next month in a place with a kitchen)  The online places that sell this have rediculously high prices.

TIA


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

I would treat it similar to beef and not really go above medium rare. I wouldn't marinate it either--if you are going to pay the expense and get the true Iberico pork, you want to taste the pure flavor of the pig, not whatever marinade. I would think some salt would be all you need. 

No idea on the price. It's probably less expensive in Spain (you aren't paying a middle man to ship it), but probably still pricey. 

I've never had it, so I'm jealous. I've tried the Jamon made from the Iberico pig (out-freaking-standing, BTW) when I was in Spain, but didn't have any of the raw meat or roasted parts. You can actually taste a nuttiness in the meat/fat, which I assume must come from the acorns as you said. 

Anyways, I would think just a liberal seasoning with salt would be all you need. If you are feeling adventurous, maybe baste with some of the rendered fat and a bit of herbs (thyme maybe) but not too much. Again, you want to taste the pure pig.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I don't know about medium rare, that's a hit rare for me for pork. And it depends on why cut you go for as well. The less expensive cuts would benefit from longer slower cooking but then what's the point? I would try to get my hands on a pork chop, seasoned with salt pepper and thyme and chargrilled, served with a squeeze of lemon. Lemon and thyme make pork shine, the are forwardly aggressive but still allow the pork flavor to shine through. Sounds fun, enjoy.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I think marinating Iberico pork would be akin to putting ketchup on caviar. I'm jealous.

mjb.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Medium rare pork is fine. The pork he is talking about is like the Kobe beef of the pork world.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Someday said:


> Medium rare pork is fine. The pork he is talking about is like the Kobe beef of the pork world.


I know what it is and I know it's fine but I don't think I can enjoy pork so underdone. It's a personal preference. I wouldn't eat Kobe beef raw either.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Koukouvagia said:


> I know what it is and I know it's fine but I don't think I can enjoy pork so underdone. It's a personal preference. I wouldn't eat Kobe beef raw either.


Normal pork I usually good well done as well, but higher quality pork such as wild hog, I cook more so how I'd cook a steak (IE med rare)


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Koukouvagia said:


> I know what it is and I know it's fine but I don't think I can enjoy pork so underdone. It's a personal preference. I wouldn't eat Kobe beef raw either.


Medium rare is not nearly the same as raw, so I don't get your point. And "underdone" is a matter of personal preference. I don't consider MR pork to be underdone at all, especially a chop or a tenderloin, and if you are going to cook it much past MR you would run the risk of all that beautiful marbling rendering out.


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

A lot of people were raised not to eat pork undercooked because of trichinosis, etc. In restaurants, you have to be careful selling at default medium or medium rare; even if you tell people they send it back sometimes. So, yeah personal preference but nothing wrong with it.
Side note, i don't temp pork and beef the same for mid rare, mid, etc. Beef is mid rare around 110-115, pork at that temp still is raw, i think. So if someone asks for mid rare pork i go more like 125, medium 137


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Someday said:


> Medium rare is not nearly the same as raw, so I don't get your point. And "underdone" is a matter of personal preference. I don't consider MR pork to be underdone at all, especially a chop or a tenderloin, and if you are going to cook it much past MR you would run the risk of all that beautiful marbling rendering out.


Each person has their own personal preference. We can't all like or agree on the same thing.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

It seems the FDA us no longer as concerned with trichinosis because they no longer require pork to be cooked well done, I think they treat it the same as beef now, as far as temp is concerned.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

This is just from memory, but I recall the last known case of a human getting trichinosis was in 1967,

when a Georgia man ate a wild boar he shot in the woods.

I would eat Iberico tartare.

mjb.


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