When I was young and still a devout carnivore, my mom used to make pork roast, although perhaps it's a different cut of meat? she would cook up pork tenderloin.

Her's how she would do it : She would get a tenderloin or two, fry them in a pan with onions, until both the onions and the pork tenderloin were browned, the tenderloin would not be cooked through but just browned on the outside.

then, she would throw all this into a pressure cooker with a dab of hot mustard and some of those lovely herbs you mentioned, a 1/4 or 1/2 cup of water and then she would through the top on, and 20 minutes later, perfect tender pork tenderloins, wth instant gravey on the bottom!

It seems like using a pressure cooker has gone out of style, even in europe, but all through my childhood it was one of the most used devices in cooking. It's like the old world microwave, because beans and potatoes can cook in minutes, not an hour or more. Pork was also cooked in this way because it needs to cook so much longer than beef in order to be safe to eat.

If anyone is willing to try to cook pork in a pressure cooker, it comes out so tender — a bit like that brisket

For me (a learning-to-cook college student), I would already get stuck on the buying the meat part.  How do you pick out a pork tenderloin?  Where do they sell them at the store?  Ahh!  This is why I always end up cooking chicken.  I know exactly where the bags of frozen chicken are at the grocery store.

A perfect roast pork! Thank you.

Orb thanks for the encouraging words!  I really should try cooking with a pressure cooker.  By my count you have seven!  Is that possible?  Why would you need that many pressure cookers???

Thanks Orb for all the great information!  I'm delighted to hear that a Pork Roast can be cooked in a pressure cooker-who knew!

Folks, don't forget that a tenderloin and a pork loin roast are not the same thing. A pork tenderloin is much smaller than the loin roast, and is the leanest and most tender cut of meat on the animal. It is cut off of the loin. The loin is larger, and has more fat on it. The pictures in this post are of a pork loin roast, not a pork tenderloin.

Medeleine, Ann and Laura...thanks for stopping by!  Laura, you are so right-a pork loin roast is different from a pork tenderloin!  Great comment!

This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much for sharing it. I love how you went through all the trouble to take pictures, it shows you really care about teaching people how to cook. As for the pressure cooker, I have to admit I've never tried one, but after everything I've read here, I'm interested in giving it a try. Maybe Santa will bring me one for christmas? ;)

Hi Andrea, I have never heard of this!  Are the two pieces of meat actually tied together?  (This may be a local delicacy!)  I just googled beef-pork roast and found this, where they cook two roasts in one pot.  Perhaps one of my readers can jump in and help out!  (OR I think you may have to give the butcher a call!)

I will be cooking two 4 lb. roasts for Christmas in

the same pan.  Do I need to consider this as

8lb. in the cooking time, or just the amount of

time in the oven that one would take?

Orb I totally agree!  Kathleen be sure to use an "instant read" or regular meat thermometer inserted into the roast to test for doneness.  Good Luck!

Hi David, startcooking.com is all about the basics.  I'm delighted to hear that it looks easy, it is!  Thanks!

I am planning to cook a 16.5 lb pork loin roast for x-mas dinner.  Is the cooking time per lb the same as with a smaller roast? 

Thanks for the advice. I am going to plan for plenty of cooking time. I usually don't have a problem, but I don't usually cook one this big...Merry Chrismas to all! And...thanks again!

I just got a little 2 lb. pork loin roast (boneless) for hubby and I.  How long will that take to cook?  It is thin and long.

Theresa, I'm delighted to be of help!

Bette, it sounds to me like you have a pork tenderloin.  The Iowa Pork site has some great ideas on how to cook a tenderloin.  

Everyone needs to keep in mind that the internal cooking temp needs to reach 155-160 degrees.  There is a great (but boring :) ! ) weight and temperature chart here.

The Daily Pork is has some great photos, recipes, and descriptions of various pork cuts.  This is a really terrific beginners guide which everyone should check out!

Cheers!  Kathy

I have a 4 lb. loan roast to cook.  I do not have a meat thermometer and like the meat to be falling apart and moist.  I wanted to cook it covered in liquid, such as beer, after rubbing with herbs.  I don't know how long to cook it.  Can you help me?

Thanks - I forgot to do that.  I do have one but don't always leave it in the oven!!  Guess I was having a 'no brain' day!! 

You would think that a 78 year old would know all there is to know about cooking, but I have done very little cooking of Pork Roasts. I want to use the slow cooker but just need to know how to season it. Would some onion powder, garlic salt and some salt and pepper be enough. I'd rather not add other things like onions and peppers. Thanks!

It's too bad pressure cookers aren't heard of more often.  I rid our home of a microwave for various personal reasons years ago, and since have continuously used a pressure cooker just like my grandmother did as I was growing up.  I understood the value and have 3 pressure cookers myself, of different sizes.  A 4qt. for the small jobs and all the way up to 10 qt. for canning.  I am 30 with a family of 5 and the uses for them are never ending.  I would encourage the use highly.  They are a life saver!  Beef stew in a snap, as well as homemade chicken soup super fast for those days when someone is under the weather... and on and on.   Consider putting one in your kitchen, you would be surprised how easy they really are, and so much tastier than a microwave!  Thanks for the great pork roast recipe bye the way, I was able to cook a 7 lb. boneless loin roast yesterday and it  turned out wonderful!

I have a 2.5 pork loin roast with the bone IN. How long do I cook it? And at what temp?

I was told that baking a pork roast from a frozen state can cause the meat to spoil. Is this true?

I have a 1.5lb pork loin tenderloin boneless chunk o' meat.  Since this is a smaller size cut, should I still follow the 30(ish) minute per pound method? Will this short cooking time affect the tenderness at all?

Thanks a mil!

It is not necessary to cook pork to an internal temperature of 155 to 160 degrees. The parasite (trichonosis) that everybody worries about in pork hasn't been seen in the US in many, many years. 

But, if you worry about such things anyway, the parasite is killed at 135 degrees. Cooking to this temp, then allowing the roast to rest for 15 minutes after removing from the oven, will take the roast to approximately 150 degrees, at which point you can serve it and it will be the juiciest, most tender pork you can get. Don't mind it if it's a bit pink in the middle - it's ok.

Hi Valerie, you could use a 9X13 baking pan BUT the grease may splatter  onto the wall of your oven (which could then smoke up your kitchen!).  In my video on Roasting a Chicken I show how to coil tin foil if you do not have a rack.  You may want to consider investing in disposable tin roasting pans.  They sell them in the grocery store.  Cheers!

For years, the recommendation for cooking pork has been to take it to the point where it would make a suitable construction material. The reason for this is the fear of Trichinosis, a nasty parasite that's difficult to get rid of. But, while Trichinosis hasn't been eradicated, its occurrence is very rare these days. Most instances of it are actually from undercooked bear, and there aren't many of those.

Trichinosis is killed by freezing for a couple weeks, or by raising its temperature to 137 degrees F. So, when cooking a pork roast, it's best to only go to an internal temp of 140 at most, then let it rest after you take it out for 10 minutes or so. You might end up with some pink, but that's ok. You will end up with the tenderest, most juicy pork roast you can get.

Hi Kathy - decided to try another pork roast.  Got a 4 lb. boneless loin roast and put it in a few minutes ago.  Got myself an oven temp thermometer and it is off a little so got the oven adjusted properly and I also got a meat thermometer so I can know when it is done just right.  I love this blog and read every day to see what is going on.  I am trying your baked macaroni and cheese recipe tomorrow.

Well we just finished dinner.  The pork was excellent.  Thanks so much for the cooking advice.  It took a little longer than I expected but it was well worht the wait. 

Sheila that’s great!  Well done!  All ovens are slightly different so the cooking times can vary.

Bette, I just gave you a BIG round of applause!  :)

Hi Patricia, I do not own a pressure cooker and know nothing about how they work.  Sorry.  :(

Hopefully some who does will jump into this converstion.....

Patricia - 

The higher the pressure, the hotter it gets, so theoretically the shorter the cooking time gets. But, there's a limit to how fast you can cook things, as the temperature has to rise throughout the the item being cooked, and has to remain there for the proper amount of time for the food. If you cook at too high a temperature, the outside will be overcooked by the time the inside is done properly.

In any event, at 15lbs, the internal temperature of the pot will rise to approximately 257F, Anything less than that, and you may as well just braize whatever it is you're cooking, as the boiling point of water is 212F. 

Most pressure cookers will automatically run at 15psi whether you like it or not. Going lower is pointless, and going higher is dangerous.

KGW, I really appreciate all your valuable comments.  Between you and a pressure cooker fan on How to Cook Broccoil, I just may well be convinced to invest in a pressure cooker!

I'm cooking dinner i'd love to repeat this for my boyfriends parents,it looks so very good can't wait to try it.details soon,thank you

Lisa >> "is there a difference between a pork roast and a pork tenderloin?"

Yes and no. A tenderloin is a specific part of the animal, just as the shoulder, ribs, butt, and so on are. A roast is a verb turned into a noun <grin>

Usually, when we're speaking of roasts, we're talking about larger cuts of meat, and usually from the less tender areas, where longer cooking using dry or moist heat methods work well. In other words, roasting it.

The more tender cuts cook much faster, so you don't generally "roast" them, unless only for short times.

You can roast a tenderloin, but it's also cut into steaks and grilled, fried, or broiled. When roasting it, it's often stuffed and/or doubled over and tied up with string, then roasted just briefly.

Be aware that there's a world of difference between a tenderloin and a loin roast. The tenderloin comes from the back of the loin, and the lion is the section of the animal between the shoulder and the ham. It can be cut into sirloin (rear), center loin, and shoulder (blade) roasts.

I'm not sure. Although most roasts are larger, they also generally require longer cooking times. You might wreck a stuffing, or overcook the roast trying to get an internal temperature reading you like. Plus, many roasts have bones in them that would be hard to work around.

Tenderloins are more workable. You can slice them down the center and open them up, then flatten them with a mallet a bit to gain some more surface. Then, the stuffing isn't quite like a bird stuffing - it's more like a layer in the recipes I've seen. You put a layer of that on the flattened tenderloin, then roll it up like a jelly roll.

There are a number of recipes for stuffed pork tenderloin here. Review those, and you'll see the different ways it's handled.

Rich -

Yes, the other end of the loin is up near the shoulder, and is larger. But, you usually have to deal with some irregular bones in the roast as well. It's not the end of the world, but it makes for a less streamlined presentation. You're not going to get nice uniform slices off it like you do from your rolled end.

Melissa "How long per lb. would you cook a butterflied pork roast?"

It's difficult to say. WIth a roast, you generally want to cook to an internal temperature, not a time. But, when you lay it out butterflied, it's thinner and more of the meat is exposed to heat, so if you were to cook it at 350 degrees at a 1/2 hour/lb. a 6 lb roast would end up ruinously overdone. I daresay you wouldn't be able to eat it.

If it was me, I'd butterfly it, season it, then tie it back up into its original shape. Then, unclench 5 bucks for a meat thermometer, and cook it to an internal temperature of 140 to 150 degrees. Make sure the thermometer tip is in the center of the roast. Take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes or so, and it'll go to 160 degrees easily. Slice 'er up and serve it.

I would guess you're probably looking at 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a roast that size.

Nice info. One thing I like to do is position the fat cap on the bottom then wrap the buggar with smoked bacon strips.

I'm slow roasting the pork roast this evening because I have the time.....but I have grilled, smoked, and, yes, pressure-cooked them at times, depending upon the situation.  I'm sixty now...(not my mother's sixty....still youthful !) but I do remember my mom pressure-cooking at every meal....green beans, pinto beans, her beef for stew....however, she always fried her steak and chicken...(southern cooking...)...unless it was a whole chicken....then out with the pressure cooker.  I'll have to say....NOTHING ever exploded.....and the meats were always very tender.  I never fry.....(OK, occassionally okra, when my daughter comes to visit--you know, childhood memory)...but I usually make gumbo....My main use for the pressure cooker is when I want to use dried beans.....didn't plan ahead.....and would prefer to not open a can....

Slowly I'm getting convinced of the need for a pressure cooker.  In fact so much so, a guest blogger has done a post for me on pressure cookers,  which is going up in just a few days time!

Linda -

I just spent two hours trying to find a good answer for you, and it seems the best answer is: don't do it. Nobody else does, and there are some good reasons for it.

First and foremost, by the time the center of that roast is done, the outside layer an inch or two thick all around will be well beyond ruined. It'll be essentially bleached of all flavor and nutrition, and tough as shoelaces.

You'd be much better off slow-roasting a chunk of meat that size using the method described at the start of this thread. You'll need a thermometer, as the time won't hold true for your roast.

Thank you so much for this recipe, and the way to cook it!

My hubby is a VERY picky meat eater, and he said he has never had a pork roast so juicy :)

If it wasn't for the internet (and namingly this website) I would not be cooking like I am today.

Amazing fudge recipe too! I am going to try the Chocolate fudge brownies next, can't wait.

Don't be afraid of pressure cooking.  It is easy  to master this  wonderful way to cook.  It is not only quicker, but the foods, especially vegetables, retain all of their vitamins and minerals for healthier eating.  All one has to do is read the instructions and presto (no pun intended) you have delicious meals in 1/4 the time.

Happy cooking,

B Lo

Lisa - 

I've never heard of that, and I can't find a recipe for it, but here's a picture of it for what it's worth. They sell them there if you want to part with $90 for $10 worth of meat...

Thanks for the feedback, Linda! It's always good to hear how things worked out. I had a feeling cutting it into two and treating it as a smaller roast would work, but I didn't want to say, not having done it myself. I'm glad that worked out well for you, and I'll keep that little tidbit in mind.

I just found you today as I was looking for a new pork roast recipe. I throughly enjoyed reading all the posts (after I put the roast in the oven). Gee, was wondering why I didn't find a recipe for corned beef and cabbage in a pressure cooker here on Saint Paddy's Day. I bet that would be very good. Now, I guess I will have to go out and find me a pressure cooker.

Oh yum! I'll have to play Irishman this weekend. Thanks Kathy! With a name like Parady I'll have to wear lots of green. I look forward to trying your recipe.

Welcome Donna! 

With this pork roast recipe, your potatoes would take hours to get tender and crispy.  I have never tried this recipe for Garlic Pork Roast with Crispy Potatoes but it looks like a better option for roasting everything together (although I would recommend using a larger pan than the one pictured).  Be sure to use an oven thermometer so you will know when your 2 pound roast is ready to be removed from the oven to rest.  Your potatoes will need that extra time to get nice and crispy.  

By any chance do you have two ovens???

You could do the potatoes first and then re-heat them in a frying pan just before serving them.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the easy to follow instructions.  Everyone loved dinner.  So juicy and the flavors of rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano infused in the tender meat!!  Awesome.

Thanks

This website is so helpful!  I've read all of the posts, but just want to make sure that I've got it right!  I'm planning on roasting a 9.12 lb pork loin for a dinner party.  Don't want to screw up time-wise and have people hungry and waiting, so I'll be planning to roast for 4.5 hours????  Right?

Hoping it will be fabulous!

Hi Everyone!  

Thanks KGW for jumping in!  Lauren, I agree with KGW - you may be over-estimating the time just a bit.    20 - 30 minutes per pound is the approximate cooking time for a roast – but you have yourself one mighty big roast!  Just be sure to use a meat thermometer for an accurate temperature. Check the thermometer by peeking in the window of the oven rather than continually opening the oven door.  Each time you open the door, you loose heat and the cooking time is longer!

Yes Kim that is a good thing.  In fact many recipes are based on bringing meat to room temperature before cooking it.  (But!) The USDA bases their cooking guides on meat cold from the refrigerator.  Cooking a roast which has sat at room temperature for an hour will decrease the cooking time, which is why using a thermometer is so very important when cooking any roast. 

I am cooking for our 40# of whole pork loin roasts for our Mother / Daughter.  I have always used crock pots in the past at home; can't do that here.
I was hoping to use the churches 18 qt roasters.
How long and at what temp do I use?  Crock pots cook at about 200 degrees, do I set the roasters for that temp and if so how long?
Or is it best to cook them at 350 degrees for a shorter time?
Need your help; DON"T what to blow the meal and disappont all our M&Ds
Thanks

this is the best site!!!!  the photo's really help me because I have a brain injury and some times words are not enough.  I'll start cooking right now!

Your pictures are beautiful and are reason enough to enjoy your site.  Thank you for taking the time to take such lovely pictures.  They're appreciated.

I purchased a 1.5 lb boneless center cut pork roast for my hubby and me.  Can I just season with garlic and spices and rub with a little olive oil?  Also I always cook my roasts wrong. Is it best to brown the top of the roast on the top of the stove and then cook  at 350 or should I be cooking it at 450 for 20 minutes and then down to 250?  Also how long and should it be pink when we cut it? I have a meat thermometer do I stick it in the middle when I take it out of the oven??????  Sorry for all the dumb questions just trying to get it right and delicious!!!!

Greetings.  Do you really mean cook it at 350?  I have cooked it for more than an hour longer than the recipe calls for and it's still not done.  My guests are getting restless.  I have always cooked pork roasts at 325.  I am cooking a smaller roast than I have cooked in the past, so I wanted to check the time.  I followed your recipe, and boy am I sorry!  Next time I'll use my own judgement and stick with 325.  That is the best temp I've found for roasting pork or turkey so that it browns but does not dry out.  This si the last time I'll use this web site.

Frustrated-

You're cooking a smaller roast at a higher temperature than you're used to, it's an hour overtime and still not done? 

Are you sure you turned the oven on? Don't feel bad if you didn't. I tried to rotisserie a chcken in a cold barbecue once. Ran out of gas early on, and I didn't notice for a good hour. I also tried making cookies in a cold oven once. Didn't work out well at all <grin>

Seriously, this is a good recipe that works well, but you have to follow it. At no point does it call for a 350 degree oven, and it does call for a thermometer, which is the only way to cook roasts of any type reliably.

it would be nice if this web site had a " save this to your cook book"ption for the user

Hi Travis,

Putting the oil and the spices before placing the pork in the oven makes a thin crust around it and that crustiness prevents the pork from drying.

Another tip would be to oil a pan and brown the pork on all its sides before placing it in the oven to cook at a lower but steady temperature at 250 Degrees. 

You can also surround the pork with bacon and roast following the recipe. The bacon will infiltrate the pork and prevent it from drying.

I hope this helps!

If anyone has tips about how to prevent a pork roast from drying out, please post them here!

Happy Cooking!

the startcooking team :)

Travis -

There are a couple things you can do. One, you might want to try doing a salt-jacketed pork roast. Use the recipe here, with these adjustments:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and put the coated roast in uncovered. After 10 minutes, turn the temp down to 250 degrees and cover the roast.
• Only cook it until the internal temperature gets to 130 degrees.

Remove it from the oven at that point and LET IT STAND for at least 10 minutes. Remove the crust and have your way with the roast <grin>

It may seem like a low temp to cook pork to, but it's not. The only reason people have been cooking pork to death for all these years is the fear of Trichinosis parasites, which are practically non-existent in the US unless you have a taste for bear meat. But, even on the freak chance you did manage to get a piece of infected pork, the parasite is killed at 137 degrees. So, anything past that is safe. Cooking to 130 and letting it stand for 10 minutes will take it to about 145. The USDA recommends cooking pork to 160, but I suspect the set their tables with titanium dentures and chainsaws in place of steak knives when they serve pork for dinner. Either that, or they have a pet alligator pre-chew their food for them <grin>

Also, don't worry about the meat getting salty from the jacketing trick. Doesn't happen, but you MUST use coarse kosher salt. It will form a hard crust around the roast and seal it, which is what keeps it so juicy.

Congratulations Kris!  Cooking really great food does not have to be complicated!

OMG, where has this blog been my whole life!! I'm definitly going to be back!! Awesome pics and instructcs!!

thanks KGWagner

 i guessed it was a us site lol and it looks great...very helpfull

i got stuck with your measuring ways so thought id just ask :-)

i put it on for 3 1/2 hours and it was cooked and yumm

thanks foe the great tips everyone i will deffanitly be comming back :-)

This is one great website, I can't believe I haven't run across it before now.

My bro-in-law, who was a cook in the Navy, gave me some little pop-up thermometers when I bought a slew of nice boneless pork loin roasts (ok, they were on sale, sue me.) Problem is, there's no way to tell what temp the inside of the roast will be when I take it out to rest, and he didn't seem to know either. He just said "take it out when the button pops." 

It may be a little late for me, as my roast has been cooking for about ninety minutes now and the button hasn't popped, but I thought maybe the answer to my question could help out the next poor culinarily-challenged soul: are the pop-up kind of thermometers recommended for pork roasts, or would I be better off sticking to the oven-safe kind that you can read?

If yes to the latter, guess I need to invest in one, hmm?

By the way, a resounding YAY vote for pressure cookers!!! No kitchen should be without 'em.

And thanks so much for this website. Keep up the good work! (And your food photography is lovely.)

Dudley -
Those pop-up timers are notoriously inaccurate. Many people don't notice, because they'd otherwise just cook a thing to death. In that case, the pop-up unit, while not the best solution, is better than no solution at all.

A good meat thermometer is not a big investment. I daresay you'd have a tough time spending much more than $10 on one, and you'll be glad you did. There's a Taylor unit here that's quite common that would give you good results.

I have been asked to prepare my pulled pork barbeque for a golf tournament (250 people).  I've never made this much at one time.  I purchased 70 pounds of boneless whole pork loin (which is the meat I usually use)  Once I have baked it, I shred it and then prepare the sauce which is added to the meat.  I often use a crock pot to prepare my pork loin - but with the volume I have to make this time, I'll need to roast the meat.   In order to have the meat tender enough to shred, do you have any suggestions?  Should I cut the loins into pieces before I bake them?  Cover them? etc

Thanks for your comments!

Peggy, I don't envy you this task at all. This isn't just about cooking a large amount of food, it's about a HUGE amount of food. You have all sorts of problems, logistics being probably the biggest. Forget about the cooking - just handling that much food is going to be quite an adventure that will require a goodly number of people. Then, family recipes often don't scale well. That is, what works well in a crock pot won't work well in an industrial-sized oven or barbecue pit.

I don't know what you have to work with, but in doing some research for you online, I've found the general consensus seems to be that for that large of a group what you want is a roasted pig of approximately 300 pounds. Unless you've done that before, you're better off hiring a caterer that's familiar with doing that. They're not as unusual as you might think, nor as expensive as you might imagine. If you have a magic sauce recipe, make a few gallons of it to use on the side or as gravy.

In other words, hire a pro. It's indicated here. You'll still get credit for an excellent spread, and it will all work well without your having to micro-manage it. Save your pork loin for the family table.

I have just been asked to cok a 30lb piece of pork for a wedding(to eat cold)how do I do this.They want the crackling too.

Wow, I made a pork roast and it was WONDERFUL.  I felt like I actually knew what I was doing!  This site is definitely helping my confidence in the kitchen.  So many cooking or "gourmet" web sites are over my head, and so snobby about food. I love the down-to-earth choices here.

Kathy, teach us how to make roast beef!

P-E-R-F-E-C-T !

4# Boneless Pork Roast - 80 mins.  Moist,  tender and yummmmy..!!

Thank you ..

CP

a good giver is a good receiver

thanks for the information to cook a crispy outside and juicy inside pork pot roast

Pork shoulder butt roast should be cooked approximately 25-30 minutes per pound.
Here is a great looking Caribbean style recipe!

What a great site -- just discovered it today. I had a big (6 lb?) frozen pork loin to roast, and NO idea how to do it. Also no time to defrost (isn't that always the way?). Another site (pork specialists, so I trusted them) suggested putting it in the roasting pan in oven at 250 F for an hour, then seasoning and roasting per recipe. That's what I did -- one other change I made to THIS recipe was to cut some slits in the roast and insert whole garlic cloves before rubbing the oil and herbs on. Roasted at 450 for 10 mins, then decreased to 300 (not 250) for the rest of the time, because I wasn't too sure if it was completely thawed. I gave it a bit longer than recommended for a thawed roast -- relied on meat thermometer to know when it got to about 160. It is DELICIOUS, moist, tender, and cooked to perfection! Thanks for this great site.