Is This Pork Done? - My Fearless Kitchen

When is the last time you had a good, juicy pork chop? Is your pork usually dry and overcooked? Get these simple tips to know when your pork is done, and never eat a dry, chewy pork chop again!

Is This Pork Done?

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Pork can be a little tricky to cook. You probably grew up eating dry pork – because our parents always cooked it until it was super-well done. That’s what they were taught, and that’s what food safety said at the time. So pork, especially pork chops, were always cooked for a long time. And just like with any meat, when it gets cooked for a long time, it gets dried out. And then it gets chewy. And then it doesn’t taste very good.

But even worse than the over-cooked dry pork chop is the under-cooked, pink pork chop. Yuck, no one wants to eat that! So let’s take a look and see how you can tell when your pork is done.

Undercooked Pork

What do you think? Take a look at that pork chop sitting on the grill. It looks pretty good… there are nice grill marks, the outside of the meat is white and looks fully cooked. But what does it look like inside?

When you cut that pork chop open, it’s pretty easy to see that it isn’t cooked. In fact, it isn’t even close to being fully cooked!

And when you take the internal temperature with a digital thermometer, it is just barely at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Yep, definitely undercooked. Toss that one back on the grill!

This one looks a little better. Nice grill marks, and the meat looks like it should be a little more firm. It’s looking better, maybe like it’s fully cooked, right?

Nope. Cut that pork chop open and it is still fairly raw in the center. It is definitely more cooked than the one in the first set of pictures, but it isn’t ready to eat yet.

Check the internal temperature, and you’ll find that it is 127 degrees F. Still not quite where we want it to be.

Fully Cooked Pork

Last one… and you just got a clue!

What do you think about this pork chop? On the grill, it looks pretty good. There are nice grill marks, the outside of the meat looks fully cooked, and it looks like it should be fairly firm. All good signs!

But when you cut it open there is just a little pink left. Is this ok?

Can I Eat Pink Pork?

Does that mean it’s not cooked enough yet? Nope!

This pork is fully cooked! It is fine to see just a little bit of pink on the inside of your pork chops.

Check the internal temperature with a thermometer to be sure. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that pork is cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-rare), and has a 3-minute rest after you take it off the heat.

Say goodbye to overcooked, dry, chewy pork chops!

Use a Meat Thermometer

The best way to know when your pork is fully cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Remember, we are looking for the minimum internal temperature – that’s the lowest acceptable temperature in the center part of the meat. This post has some simple tips for using a meat thermometer.

Don’t have a meat thermometer? That’s the tool that gets used the most often in my kitchen! I recommend an instant-read digital thermometer like this one for cooking on the stovetop or on the grill. (This is my favorite thermometer for cooking in the oven or in a slow cooker.)

Free Printable for Is This Pork Done?

Do you want a cheat sheet for your kitchen? Click here to download and print a free printable for your kitchen and never wonder about your pork chops again!

Is This Chicken Done?

Now you know all about pork. But what about chicken? It can be even harder to tell when your chicken is fully cooked. Check out this post for some easy tips to know when your chicken is done.

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

• Is It Done Yet? (Meat Cooking Temperatures) – free printable!
• What’s the Difference Between Steaks & Chops?
• How to Cook the Perfect Steak – free printable!

3 Recipes to Try

• Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops
• Balsamic-BBQ Pork Chops
• Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops

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