When you are cooking something, you want to keep in mind portion size. The reason for this is that if you eat too much, then you will end up overeating.
This can have a lot of negative effects on your body, and the same goes for eating too little. If you end up snacking, then you could also end up overeating again.
Do not worry because you can fix the problem by learning the correct portion size for the meals you are preparing. One food people do this with is meat, like pork, and in this article, you will learn how much to give each person, plus more!
Contents
How Much Pork Does Each Person Get?
There is a certain amount of pork you should give each person, but it depends on what kind of pork you happen to have on hand. In this section, we will break down the portion sizes of pork loin and pulled pork.
Pork Loin
Pork Loin is a popular cut of pork that people purchase and cook. Like with other foods, there is a certain amount you should make per person.
You should make eight ounces or half a pound for every person that plans to be eating.
By having at least eight ounces of meat, you are keeping in mind the fact meat tends to shrink while you are cooking. It doesn’t matter what type of meat you have.
Most of them are going to shrink during the cooking process. This is just something you are going to have to deal with, so if you are worried about it, just give your guests half a pound rather than eight ounces.
This is all you need to know when figuring out what portion size to use for pork loin. The portion size might sound complicated, but trust us when we say that it isn’t at all.
Pulled Pork
Another type of popular cut for pork is pulled pork. Pulled pork is different from pork loin because, with pulled pork, you are eating shredded meat rather than meat that is together.
The amount to give a person depends on if it’s bone-in pulled pork or bone-out pulled pork.
Boneless cuts of pork shoulder, which you use for pork loin, require about 1/3 a pound for every guest you happen to have at the dinner table.
The more people you are going to have at your dinner table, the more pork you are going to need. If math isn’t your strong point, then there is no harm in using a calculator.
For bone-in cuts of pork shoulder, it’s best to get one-half of a pound per person.
Normally, bone-in requires a little more per person rather than boneless because shrinkage can happen because of bone and extra fat.
Can You Eat Too Much Pork?
Sadly, there is such a thing as eating too much pork. The reasons for this include:
- There is a possibility that eating too much red meat, which includes pork, can lead to you having a higher risk of cancer. This includes colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer, but the risks are stronger with getting colorectal cancer.
- Another risk of eating too much pork is obesity. The reason for this is the fat in the pork. Some countries, like the United States, do have a big problem with people being overweight, so this is just something to keep in mind when consuming pork.
- By eating a lot of pork, you could increase your chances of getting diabetes or cardiovascular disease. However, the thing to keep in mind is that there isn’t enough evidence to prove this yet. More research needs to be done to determine if eating pork can truly cause either of these two issues.
- Believe it or not, liver disease, MS, or yersinia can also be a risk. However, because of a lack of updated research, not much information is out there.
So, these are the biggest risks of eating too much pork. Luckily, there are also benefits if you manage to eat it in moderation!
What Are the Benefits of Eating Pork?
There are, of course, benefits to eating pork. This includes:
- One of the biggest benefits of eating pork is that it can help you increase your muscle performance and just help maintain them in general. This is because of the amino acids found in pork. They help your muscles in the long run!
- Pork has a lot of vitamins and minerals. These are things that your body needs to function, so if you are looking for meat to add to your diet, this is it!
- Pork is high in protein, iron, and zinc, just to name a few. Out of all the things it’s high in, these are the top things that your body is going to need to function well daily.
These are some of the biggest benefits of eating pork. If one of them doesn’t comfort you, then another certainly will.
Eating it once a week or so for a meal is a great way to give your body one or all of these benefits. Just remember the last section where we talked about eating too much and practicing a little thing called moderation.
Don’t worry, eventually you’ll find a good balance. It just takes time!
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all your pork lovers out there! If you decide to cook, then you know how much portion size to give out to people.
Keep in mind that it does depend on what kind of pork you cook in the first place. This way, you can use the correct portion size!
We also wanted to touch on what happens if you eat too much pork and also the benefits of eating it as well.
The reason for this is so you have all the facts at your disposal and will be able to make an informed decision when it comes to your cooking.
You might also be interested in the following:
- How Much Pork Shoulder per Person?
- How Much Pork Tenderloin per Person?
- How Much Pork Butt per Person?
- How Much Ham per Person?
- How Much Turkey per Person?
- How Much Chicken per Person?
- How Much Meat per Person?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.