Wow, Pork Tips are dirt cheap !

$1.28 a lb ? Are you kidding me ?

So based on how awesome my baby back ribs came out, I had to buy a big 6lb bag of them for $7 :slightly_smiling_face:

So, I was thinking about SV’ing them the same way I did the baby back ribs… 150 F for 20 hrs…

Unless somebody here has a better idea ? …or more experience with pork tips. They looked nicely marbled… Which I want for my keto :wink: Thinking I might be eating this for a lot of my breakfasts, instead of tenderloin. That stuff is just too darn lean.

Also called Button Bones because of their shape they used to be less than half that price and sold in 50# boxes to Chinese restaurants that served them in many ways, even as “spareribs”.

They are a lot thiner than ribs and full of connective tissue so they can be chewy but tasty.

Hmmm. I guess I won’t know until I open the package, but it looks like pretty good, thick pieces of meat, with just the right amount of fat spread throughout it. Hard to find any bone anywhere ?
But hey, as far as chewiness is concerned, couldn’t that be taken care of by SV’ng a bit longer ? I have joked, give me a week and I can make a cow hoove tender :blush:

They are the strips of meat, cartilage and bone that run alongside the spine. We have different expectations as to tenderness.

Why not try a batch for 20 hours to discover if that suits you and go from there? At that price you may be cooking them often. They are good when finished just as you do your ribs but with less torch work.

Yep. Will be starting a batch tonight, just as soon as my Beef short ribs come out for dinner :wink:

Hey btw, unless I open the vacuum package, and find that they were hiding all the bones and cartilage, it looks really good and meaty without opening it. Will know after tonight. But here’s the thing, this stuff is so darn cheap, that if it turned out to be full of bones and cartilage, I still wouldn’t be out many $ :slight_smile:

Wow, these pork tips really look like second hand scraps :grinning: lol

But I’m giving them a shot… 150 for 20- 24 hrs… Then a quick sear. Will see what happens, and will report back here.

They are scraps which is why they are inexpensive price wise, however with boneless pork loins selling locally at $1.49/# to me the edible portion cost of your pork tips is relatively high. You’ll need a lot of them to be satisfied.

I think in terms of portion cost instead of price per pound. That’s why buying a side or quarter of beef is seldom worthwhile when you consider the number of portions you get from the total cost.

Those pork tips would only be second hand if there was no meat left on them. They always look that way which is why Chinese restaurants often bread or batter them.

Another thing to watch for when buying pork or poultry is if it has been injected with a salt mixture. I will not buy anything that has been injected. If I do inject I do it myself where I can control the contents. Even though it is approved to sell this type of meat I do not have to buy it. It also increases the weight so you are paying for water.

When I was young we butchered a steer every year. It was delicious and I remember my mother insisting that we eat all the parts. Not sure what it cost to raise it but we sure had a lot of meat.

I think you would be really surprised ! The pork tips I got were probably 3% bone, and no more than 10% fat… Mostly edible pink / red pork !
Quite honestly, I’m thinking they have just enough fat, and probably more flavor than pork loin. But I will find out today :slightly_smiling_face:

Okay, so here’s what’s up with the pork tips… They came out with very good flavor. Very much like pulled pork. But yea, lots of little flat bones, and a little grissle. So basically I decided not to sear it, and then spent about 15 minutes going through the whole bag and seperating the bones from good edible meat. Will probably be making great sandwiches with it for a few days.

Verdict; it tastes good, and it’s cheap, but it’s just too much of a PITA. So next time, if I want pulled pork, I’ll just do a pork roast (not a tenderloin, but rather a pork shoulder or butt) for the same flavor, but way less work.

We get these at Costco now, they make great eating. Try this: with them cover in Walkerswood jerk seasoning (Note: mild is still pretty spicy) and let marinate for a while (overnight or longer is ideal). Then grill very slowly until fat and collagen soften and render and meat gets browned. Or, sous vide at 160 for about 4-6 hours (you still want them to have some texture) then finish on the grill at higher heat to brown them up.

Next time you have pulled pork try making carnitas. I make the fried meat into tacos without the shells.