I have a cooking question. Maybe S. Woody White or someone else can help me.
How long per pound do you bake a pork roast? I had a 3 pounder tonight (it had bones in the middle). I cooked it for 1 1/2 and it was way underdone. Would 2 hours have done the trick?
Was it a pork loin roast?
1 1/2 hours sounds like it should have done the trick, but there are some variables to consider.
What temperature did you cook it at?
-I've been using the method suggested in The Joy of Cooking where you start the roast off at 450F for the first fifteen minutes, and the lower the over to 250F for another hour and a half or so. PLUS, then letting the roast rest to finish cooking outside the oven - residual hear and all. And that's usually for a five-pounder.
What kind of pan did you cook it in?
-If the sides are too high, then the heat cannot circulate properly around the roast. The size of the roasting pan is usually not a major factor, but sometimes...
Did you take the roast right from the fridge and put it in the preheated oven?
-Now this is something I've learned over the past few years, and I've finally learned to "deal with it", and let all my fears dealing with food safety go by the wayside... When cooking a chunk of meat - whether it's beef, lamb, pork, even turkey and chicken - it helps to let the piece of meat warm up a little bit before placing it in the oven. I'm not saying to leave it out until it comes to room temperature, but just long enough to take the chill off the outside. This way the piece of meat and the oven doesn't go into "shock". Does this make sense? And sometimes, a very cold piece of meat can cook all right on the outside, but the inside may still be underdone at the same time.
Did you use a marinade or rub?
-Just curious.
And when you say "way underdone" do you mean as is visibly still raw, or with just a bit of pink in it?
-I like my pork on the pink side - as long as the internal temp is around 155-160. The USDA recommended temps of 170-185, just simply ruin a good cut of pork. Again, a good rest after the pork comes out of the oven is a good thing. Just take the pork out of the oven when it's around 148-150, tent it with foil, then let it sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes. -You can make the gravy during that time! The roast should come up to temperature as it sits.
Well.. that's all for now. Hope it helps. We'll see what DR SWW can add and aid.
