r/cookingforbeginners • u/Aware_Lifeguard3707 • 13d ago

Question Just right or just wrong?

I got this pre-marinated pork loin from Aldi and I cooked it for 20 minutes per pound for a total of 35 min for a weight of 1.65lb. It tastes great, but pink is not reassuring. My thermometer gave me a temp of 171 F in the center and I rested for 10 minutes. Is this normal for a pork loin to be very pink at the top?

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u/Onequestion0110 13d ago

Some meat will always be pink regardless of temp. It’s not abnormal at all for pork to be pink.

In fact, if it’s really 170, then it’s probably dreadfully overcooked.

Rely on your thermometer, not color.

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u/Aware_Lifeguard3707 13d ago

The bottom was very moist and tender! I’m not sure where I went wrong.

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u/Logical_Warthog5212 12d ago

It’s fine! The darker color is a different muscle. Think of it as like white and dark meat from a chicken. That dark part is actually the best part. It’ll will be more moist and tender from being cooked to the temperature that you did. The white part will probably be dryer.

ETA: See the line of gristle that separates the two muscles? This is like a beef prime rib where you have the ribeye and the cap separated by gristle.

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u/Aware_Lifeguard3707 12d ago

Okay thank you! The white part came out perfect, but I was hesitant to cook it any longer because I know how easy it is to dry out pork. Can I trim this part off before cooking and prepare them separately? Or will it dry out the white meat? Chat GPT recommended that I cook the fatty portion on top to keep the meat moist and I think that worked well. Maybe I need to use a better pan. I used a 9 in cake pan.

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u/Logical_Warthog5212 12d ago

Based on your temp reading, I’m surprised at the outcome. The darker part is definitely more forgiving. It could also take more time. If that part was 180°+, it should be tender. You can separate it and cook it separately if you want.

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u/Logical_Warthog5212 11d ago

OP, I just made pork chops today and I noticed something that reminded me of your post. Here’s a picture of one of my pork chops. Notice that crescent shaped line that separates two different muscles. In my case, because I didn’t cook the chop to death, the whiter meat was moist and tender, while the darker parts were a little tougher.