How to Select Fresh Pork?

If you've ever found yourself shopping along the fresh meat aisle struggling to pick out the freshest cut of the lot, or wondering if the pork delivered to you is of good quality? We feel you.

That's why we've put together a definitive list of answers (and trade secrets!) to determine if you're getting the freshest pork in the market.

1. Smell is one of the surest way to find out if the pork is fresh or has gone bad. Always trust your nose when it comes to distinguishing freshness! 

2. In the event that the packaging prevents you from physically smelling the pork, the next easiest way would be to judge the pork's colour. Determine the freshness by judging the colours of the bones, meat and marbling.

3. Fresh meat should be moist with a satin sheen. That liquid in your packaging? Don't worry about it, it's a natural occurrence where meat proteins loses its ability to hold water when cut. But if the meat and liquid has turned slimy, it's a strong indicator that it has gone bad.

4. Finally, taste! We've all had our fair share of "pork horror stories", with pork tasting "porky", "gamey", resulting in many children and adult alike avoiding pork. Fresh pork should not taste anything like described above; in fact, it should taste sweet and clean. One of the most common reasons for pork tasting "porky", is simply because it's no longer fresh.

And that's it! Hope you've learned something today and will be more confident in making smart and fresh choices at your local markets.

Let us know in the comments below what fresh tips you'd like to see next! Till then, stay fresh.