Pork, billed by manufacturers as "the other white meat," can be a tasty but confusing meat to cook while ensuring you're staying on the healthy track. Both pork sirloin roast and the pork loin roast come from the loin area of the pig, and are leaner cuts of meat than the ham or other areas of the pig, so both are good choices for healthy eating. Aside from potential size of the cut and fat content, if you ask your butcher for a sirloin pork roast, he may hand he will hand you the same cut of meat, though it may be larger and less trimmed of its fat.
Pork Sirloin Roast
While still cut from the loin area of the pig, a pork sirloin roast is usually larger and has less fat trimmed from the outer edges of the meat. This cut is good for slow-cooking to make shredded barbecue or tender roast meat for sandwiches or stews. For lower-calorie cooking, trim the outer fat off of the roast. Remember, though, fat adds flavor and tenderness to the meat; substitute a bit of liquid beef broth so the meat will remain tender without the fat.
Cooking the Roast
The best and leanest way to cook a pork sirloin roast is by roasting it. Brown the roast with a very small amount of oil on the stovetop, then place it in a roasting pan and add spices; salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and garlic work well individually or combined. Add broth to the bottom of the pan and cover it, so the meat won't become tough or dry out. Slow cooking in a crock pot is also a good method for using this lean cut of meat if you want to make barbecue sandwiches or add meat to a stew.
Pork Loin
The pork loin roast is usually longer, thinner and more "tubular" in look. Most of the fat is trimmed before you buy it; if not, you can ask your butcher to trim the loin roast before purchase. While cut from the same area of the pig as the pork sirloin roast, the loin is likely the leanest meat -- and per Mayoclinic.com, the lowest in sodium -- you can find on the pig.
Cooking the Loin
Because it is so lean, there is a likelihood that if not cooked properly, the loin can become tough and stringy in texture. Brown the loin on your stove-top to seal in the juices, then place the loin in a Pyrex or other baking dish. Because the tenderloin is so mild in flavor, it lends itself to be cooked with fruit, such as a cranberry or apple glaze, or with spicier flavors such as Jamaican jerk flavors or Asian spices. Cover the loin as you cook it and baste it often with a glaze to make sure it remains juicy and tender. Allow the meat to rest after you remove it from the oven, and slice the loin just before serving so that the juices don't run out onto the cutting board surface and dry out the meat.
Member Comments