Spices for pork and pork ribs that best highlight the taste of meat

Pork is considered the most popular meat in the world. Various seasonings for pork will make the dish tender, tasty, soft, or very unusual. Most spices are combined with this meat, but you need to know some subtleties and nuances when adding them.

The most popular spices and seasonings for pork

Pork can be cooked with spices immediately, or marinated before cooking. For this purpose, both individual types of seasonings and their mixtures are used. There are several spices that go perfectly with meat, adding different aromas and flavors.

Salt

Without this seasoning, cooking meat is basically impossible. Various types can be used:

• table salt;
• iodized;
• replace it with soy sauce.

Basically, all you need to cook pork is salt. This is especially important if a person does not like additional aromas and flavors. But by adding other components, the taste of the dish can be improved.It all depends on each person's preferences.

Pepper

There are many types of peppers, and each can add its own flavor to pork.

Most often used:

• ground red;
• ground black pepper;
• paprika;
• Chile;
• sweet dry pepper;
• fresh Bulgarian, capsicum, spicy vegetable.

Salt and pepper are considered the best seasonings for pork. But by adding additional spices, you can achieve other wonderful flavors and aromas.

Turmeric

Gives pork dishes a slight spicy and bitter taste. It has a bright yellow tint and changes the color of not only the meat, but also the side dish.

Marjoram

An excellent addition to fatty dishes. Gives a specific aroma, a unique taste to meat, and facilitates digestion.

Bay leaf

Preserves the natural taste of pork and gives a light ethereal aroma.

Coriander

It perfectly complements the taste of any meat. But the aroma of the spice is not too strong, so it is great for those who prefer natural smells.

Cumin, cumin

It is considered the most popular seasoning for meat in oriental cuisine. When using it, a pleasant sourness and unusual taste appear. Sometimes replaced with caraway seeds.

Sumac

A spice with sweetness and sourness at the same time. Suitable for stewed and fried pork, pork ribs cooked over a fire.

Basil

The sweet taste and delicate aroma makes this seasoning universal for any type of meat.

Dill, parsley, cilantro

The most popular types of greens in Russia make excellent seasonings for pork. They are often used fresh - added at the end of cooking so that the flavor is not lost. Or they dry, grind and add a little earlier, to a hot dish, so that their taste and aroma are revealed.

Onion garlic

These vegetables can also act as a seasoning. They are added fresh, chopped, whole (especially in dishes with cereals), as a dried ingredient, or in powder form. They give dishes a specific aroma and a slight spice.

Sour berries

In many dishes, various berries are added to pork to add sourness. These are juniper, barberry, dogwood, even simple raisins. They go great with pork pilaf and do their job well in various marinades.

Tomatoes

Tomato paste is added to the pork 5-7 minutes before the end of cooking. You can add fresh tomatoes or pour tomato juice. Sun-dried tomatoes will also add a slight sourness, but it is better to add them early, along with the bay leaf, 10 minutes before cooking.

Sugar

Despite its sweetness, sugar is one of the most versatile spices. It is used not only in the preparation of desserts and drinks. It is added to meat, vegetables, and winter preparations. In pork marinades, it acts as a component that removes the specific sourness from vinegar and similar ingredients. Adding sugar to the cooked meat will give it a kind of caramel crust.

Most other seasonings are also suitable for pork - oregano, thyme, tarragon, celery, horseradish and others. But you can’t assume that mixing them all will make a tasty dish. Some spices are so spicy that they simply interfere with each other. And I would like to preserve the taste and aroma of the meat, and not overwhelm it with other sensations. Therefore, the best option is to use 3-6 types of additives in cooking meat. Pork ribs, unlike tenderloin, can use a little more seasoning.

How to make ready-made spice mixtures for pork yourself

One spice is rarely used to cook meat. To improve the taste of a dish, it is best to choose several seasonings, mix them, and create the perfect mixture.

Marinades

To make the meat softer and more tender, and to speed up the cooking process, it is best to marinate the meat in advance. This will take from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

The following products are commonly used to prepare a marinade for pork or pork ribs.

You can simply coat the meat with various seasonings, mustard, sauces or simple mayonnaise. But if you do not add an acidic base, then the marinating period must be increased. Using acid, it is enough to soak the meat for 30-40 minutes. If it is not there, it is better to keep the meat in a mixture of spices in the refrigerator for 1.5-2 hours.

Mixes for cooking meat

To prepare a mixture for pork or pork ribs, you need to combine 3 to 6 types of seasonings. They should already be crushed, or they should be crushed in a mortar. Only dry seasonings are mixed. Fresh vegetables, garlic, and bay leaves should be added to the dish itself.

If the dish is boiled or stewed, it is recommended to add salt separately and not as part of the seasoning. But it’s better to bake, fry, or cook shish kebab with all the ingredients of the seasoning mixture at once.

Ready-made mixtures from different manufacturers

The most popular seasoning manufacturers in our country are companies that produce the following brands of spice mixtures:

• Knorr;
• Kotani;
• Maggi;
• Pripravych.

The mixtures are produced in economical, soft packaging, and in various hard cans, including in mills.

Pork recipes with spices

Most seasonings are suitable for pork. But you should know some nuances in which they either reveal their taste, or, conversely, can ruin the dish.

Braised pork

It is necessary to stew meat with seasonings that are revealed during long cooking.

These include:

• dry herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro);
• black pepper;
• dried garlic;
• horseradish;
• curry;
• Bay leaf.

If you immediately add fresh herbs, garlic, and onions, then by the end of cooking these components will lose their aroma.

Cooking options:

1. Cut the meat into small pieces. Add some salt. Simmer in a small amount of water, tomato juice, with the addition of tomato paste. Towards the end of cooking, add seasonings.
2. Marinate large pieces of pork in the seasoning mixture for 30-40 minutes. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Pour in kefir, milk or water, leave covered for 20-30 minutes.
3. Beat the meat. Lightly fry the pieces in a cauldron, pour milk, add seasonings and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Boiled pork

For soups, when preparing boiled pork, it is best to use herbs, for example:

• basil;
• cilantro;
• thyme;
• Bay leaf;
• dried garlic;
• red and black pepper.

Cooking options:

1. For a rich broth in the soup, simmer the pork by placing it in cold water and simply adding salt. It is better to add spices after the meat is ready.
2. If you want tender, soft pork rather than broth, place the meat in boiling water. Add salt towards the end of cooking. The prepared seasonings must be crushed, poured with a small amount of boiled water or broth, and left for 5 minutes. Or add to the broth 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

Roast pork

For fried meat, it is better to choose seasonings that go well with vegetable oil, revealing their aromas in it. In addition, they should not burn or require excess liquid, like dry herbs. And have properties that remove the taste of fat. Therefore, the best spices for fried pork are:

• garlic (dry powder or fresh vegetable added directly to oil, fat);
• onions (dry and fresh, onions and green);
• all types of pepper;
• coriander;
• ginger;
• sesame;
• mustard;
• sour-based seasonings (dried berries, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, tkemali).

Cooking options:

1. Beat off pieces of pork, spread with spices. After 20-30 minutes, dip in batter or cracker mixture and fry on both sides.
2. Cut the pork into large but thin pieces. Marinate the meat in the necessary spices. Fry on both sides in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat.
3. Cut the meat into small pieces. Fry in vegetable oil, adding carrots and onions. At the end of cooking, add black pepper and other seasonings. This meat is suitable for other dishes, including pilaf.

Roast pork

The best ingredients for baking are those that can withstand a fairly long and hot heat treatment in the oven without losing their aroma and taste properties.

Among these seasonings it should be noted:

• salt;
• basil;
• turmeric;
• marjoram;
• ginger;
• oregano;
• caraway;
• Bay leaf;
• onion;
• garlic.

You can use just some of these spices, or you can grind them all together.

Cooking options:

1. Cut the meat into small pieces. Add spices and leave for half an hour. Cook in a roasting bag or in foil for at least 40 minutes.
2. Stuff a large piece of meat with fresh garlic, making deep cuts. Rub the pork with salt or soy sauce, black pepper and other seasonings, leave in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, basting with sauce every 10 minutes.
3. Pound out a large piece of pork. Coat with spices, add filling (for example, mushrooms, cheese, garlic, onions, other vegetables). Twist the roll. Place in foil and bake in the oven for an hour.

Pork ribs with spices

The meat on pork ribs is tougher, so you don't have to skimp on the spices before cooking them. It is best to make a marinade from the following seasonings:

• vinegar, wine or citrus juice;
• turmeric, curry, hops-suneli, cumin, marjoram;
• dill, parsley, basil, cilantro;
• salt, sugar, honey, mustard, soy sauce;
• onion garlic.

Cooking options:

1. Place the marinated ribs on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake in the oven for about an hour. Remove the foil and leave to cook for another 20 minutes.
2. Spread the pork ribs with mustard, soy sauce, vegetable oil and honey. Leave for 2-3 hours. Place in a bowl or on a baking sheet, pour in the remaining marinade, and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for an hour.
3. Sprinkle the pieces of meat on the bones with a dry seasoning mixture, fry in a frying pan or in a slow cooker in the “Fry” mode for 20 minutes.Place on a baking sheet, cover with sour cream, mayonnaise or cheese, and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

Every housewife has in her stock the best recipes for pork and pork ribs. And uses his favorite seasonings. But don't be afraid to experiment and try something new. After all, most spices perfectly highlight the taste of meat, and you can achieve new tastes, delighting your whole family.