Top 5 Trends and Tips For the Barbeque Pit from ‘The Meat Guy’
When it comes to pork production, in most cases, the end goal revolves around the meat on the consumer’s plate. Consumers drive demand for the product, which then continues to support the chain of pork production back to the beginning source.
Whether pork is chosen off the restaurant menu or at the meat case to be cooked at home, pork has not become popular merely by chance.
Named Minnesota Pork Board’s Promoter of the Year in 2022, owner of Charlie T’s and known as ‘The Meat Guy,’ Charlie Torgerson shares his experience within the food industry and how barbeque has evolved over the years.
Torgerson is no amateur in the barbeque scene, though he began his career as a pastry chef. He traded in his rolling pin for a meat cleaver and has years of experience as a barbeque restaurant owner, executive chef and now owns a consulting business. Torgerson says he’s teamed up with many pork groups to “move more pork on menus” of big chain restaurants and small family-owned businesses.
When discussing barbeque, Torgerson shared five tips and trends found in the best barbeque and pork eating experiences.
5. Sweet Heat Barbeque
Barbeque sauce that was sweet and had a molasses-type base has slowly fallen to the wayside, transitioning out of many popular barbeque restaurants. The desire for “sweet heat” by taking a more original sauce and adding different ingredients to change the flavor, such as Korean-style or Chicago-style, has become widely popular.
4. Thin Over Thick Sauce
Torgerson explains how barbeque sauce has thinned over the years, being used less as a sauce and more as a glaze. “You want to eat the meat you're buying, that beautiful pork, whether it's 100% Duroc or Berkshire or whatever, and I don't want to cover it up with a big ‘ole sticky sweet sauce,” Torgerson says.
3. It’s About the Char
When it comes to cooking that perfect pork chop, it’s about creating a change in texture on the outside of the meat compared to the inside. “I want a little bit of crunch on the outside and then that beautiful, juicy, rosy-pink pork on the inside,” Torgerson describes. Whether it’s using a sauté pan, a cast iron skillet or straight on the grill, Torgerson strives to get a nice char on the fat of the meat.
2. It Doesn’t Have to be Overcooked
“Cook a pork chop to the perfect 145° [Fahrenheit], nice and pink,” says Torgerson. The times of Trichinosis are gone and serving pork with a pink-center is safe and provides a better eating experience. Torgerson encourages barbeque and grilling enthusiasts to invest in a thermometer, “get it the 145° and it is going to be perfect every time.”
1. Pork Can Be Part of a Healthy Diet
“We're not telling you to eat 3 lb. of bacon every morning,” Torgerson says, but he encourages pork-lovers to enjoy the meat in moderation. The Omega-3’s found in pork provide health benefits and can be a part of a healthy diet.
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