Ground pork is a flavorful and useful option as a substitute for other ground meats. You just have to know how to cook ground pork and you’ll be off and running!
How to Cook Ground Pork
There are so many ways to use ground pork that you will be surprised. In fact, if you can imagine a use for a ground meat, then ground pork is probably the answer! Way back when, I wrote a comprehensive guide for ground beef and most of what’s in there holds true for ground pork too!
But no worries, I won’t send you off looking somewhere else for your answers, you can find them right here!
This recipe shows you how to cook ground pork as a ground meat to use for recipes. You can also use ground pork for burgers, simply pat it into a burger and use it that way for that purpose.
You might also try How to Cook Ground Chicken too!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Ground Pork
- A tbs of oil
- Seasoning of your choice (salt, pepper, sage, cayenne, red pepper, thyme and Italian seasoning are all good options).
Here’s How You Do It
- Depending on your recipe, you’ll want to break up your ground meat in a frying pan with the oil.
- Add the seasonings and cook until it is brown all the way through.
Special Supplies
You won’t need any special supplies, but I do love to cook my ground pork on the stove top in my Lodge Cast Iron 10″ pan.
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What My Family Has to Say About This Recipe
Ground Pork makes tacos, spaghetti and other recipes taste GREAT!
Jason
Substitutions
- You can substitute the ground pork for most any other type of ground meat.
- Substitute the seasonings listed in the recipe below with any of your favorite dried herbs.
- Try vegetable oil, butter, EVO or any other cooking oil for the oil noted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Yes! Definitely! Simply place into a freezer safe package, remove as much air as possible, write the date on the package and place in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months.
Keep covered in the refrigerator and it will last for up to 5 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Ground pork is a GREAT addition to other, less flavorful ground meats. It’s perfect to add to ground turkey or ground chicken to give those enough fat to cook and a bit of extra flavor.
- Ground pork holds together about the same as ground beef. You can directly substitute it for other ground meats.
- Break up the meat as you are putting it into the pan. Pinch off or break off small pieces to put in the pan, this makes breaking them up as they cook much easier.
- Drain the fat off of the pan after cooking the meat if there is more grease than you would prefer.
- Use this cooked ground pork for all kinds of dishes including spaghetti sauce and taco pie!
Watch Me Make This Dish
(This is actually a video on breaking up ground beef, however, it is the same concept for ground pork)
Can You Give Me A Hand?
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How To Cook Ground Pork
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs oil optional, based on fat content of the ground beef.
- 1 lb pork ground
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a frying pan set over medium heat on the stove top, add oil to the pan if your ground pork is very low fat. Use your fingers to break up and pull off pieces of the ground pork chunk and put into the pan.
- Once the ground pork is all added to the pan, use a potato masher to mash and break up the ground pork into fine and small pieces. Repeat this as the ground pork cooks. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, the garlic and onion powders and the black pepper.
- Once the ground pork is turning all brown part, taste and add the other ½ tsp salt if needed.
- Turn off the heat and proceed with whatever recipe you plan to use finely crumbled ground pork for.
Notes
- Be sure to drain the meat well before using in your recipe.
- If you do not have a potato mashing tool, use a meat pounder or wash a can of soup very well and then use that instead.
- Add salt to your ground meat before using it in your recipe, this will lend a lot of flavor to your recipe.
Nutrition
I am finding that as I get older, I have to forgive and forgive more and more. It makes me think that someone else is probably forgiving me a lot too without me knowing it. Thank goodness for the grace of every day people and of my Lord too.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you
Richard Leigh
Sunday 15th of October 2023
Very good place for an amateur just starting to cook for a family to get started. VERY helpful
Wendi Spraker
Tuesday 17th of October 2023
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