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I cooked a 4 lb. pork roast for about an hour and twenty-five minutes in an open top roasting pan at a steady 350F. It reached 154F in the center so I pulled it out of the oven. The top came out nice and crispy. I let it rest a bit. When I went to cut it it split open at the center-line. The inside looks like it has a somewhat pink center. The juices came out on the pink side too.

What I see in the web says that this normal. I am a bit shaky though. I am wrapping both halves in foil and putting them in the fridge until tomorrow so I can figure this out.

Any thoughts?

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    What is the result you were looking for? What were you trying to achieve? Is your thermometer accurate? Color is not necessarily an indicator of doneness. That is certainly a safe temperature.
    – moscafj
    Nov 7 '20 at 0:52
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    What exactly is your question? "Any thoughts" isn't much of a question.
    – Kat
    Nov 7 '20 at 21:09
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You're good.

Many people have fears about pork because of trichinosis, which has led to people overcooking port until it is dry and unpalatable. Trichinosis is extremely rare in most places, so you could eat it raw if you wanted to with very, very low chance of getting sick. Previously the USDA guidelines was to cook pork chops or roasts to 160°F (71°C), however there has been a recognition that this is overkill and it has been revised down to 145°F (63°C) as evidence has shown that temperature instantly makes the food safe. 154°F is far above what you need for safety.

Your pork was a bit pink in the middle and still juicy, this is a good thing.

Note: the guidelines for ground pork, beef and lamb are still to cook to 160°F (71°C).

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  • I cut the webbing from one of the portions, then sliced it perpendicular to the long dimension. I was struck by the level of fat. I cut out about 1/3 of each slice and threw it away. I put what was left in a container and put it in the fridge again. I tasted a little from the outer cuts. They seemed okay. The center slices seem to have a gelatinous texture like underdone chicken. I find that worrisome. I have not been able to find anything on the Internet speaking to this. Any thoughts?
    – Mike
    Nov 7 '20 at 22:26
  • That sounds like you undercooked it, maybe your thermometer is over-reading, or you didn't have it in the center of mass of the meat, which is easy to do. I wouldn't worry about it, I just wouldn't eat the underdone parts.
    – GdD
    Nov 7 '20 at 22:31
  • I was thinking that. The underdone portions constitute most of the roast. Should I cook them some more or scuttle the project?
    – Mike
    Nov 7 '20 at 22:34
  • I've never had good success cooking meat in that situation, but you may have a different result, and you won't lose anything by trying.
    – GdD
    Nov 7 '20 at 22:35
  • I will cook what I have cut to see how it comes out. Do you have any time-temperature recommendations? I will be using a toaster oven. Wrap them in foil? What should I look after I cook them some more for the texture? A grain structure like chicken?
    – Mike
    Nov 7 '20 at 22:40

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