Buying and lighting calculator · Pork
How much Ibérico presa do I buy and when do I light?
Presa is a muscle from the shoulder of the Ibérico pig, lying against the loin, with intramuscular fat that keeps it juicy and almost impossible to dry out. Each pig gives two, one per shoulder, and each weighs between 600 and 800 g, boneless and with very little trim. That is why the loss is low, about 25 % between fat and water, and for 200 g cooked you only need 270 g raw per person. Better slightly pink than overdone: the target is 63 °C in the centre. On the kamado it suits a reverse sear: about 115 °C with the deflector until 55-58 °C, then a hard sear of one or two minutes per side. Rest it for a quarter of an hour before slicing.
How to ask for it
For 4 people: Ask for whole Ibérico presas, field-fed or acorn-fed, around 600-800 g each, 1.25 kg in total. Not pre-marinated.
Presa loses little, mostly fat and water, about a quarter; for 200 g on the plate you buy about 270 g. pull at 55-58 °C and let it rise to 63 °C while resting.
How we calculate it
We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.
To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.
Frequently asked questions
How much Ibérico presa per person?
Plan on about 270 g raw per person, which leaves about 200 g on the plate. Since a presa weighs 600 to 800 g, one feeds two or three people. It is rich and filling, so with starters you can drop to 200 g.
What temperature should Ibérico presa be cooked to?
Cook it on the kamado at 115 °C with the deflector in until the centre reads 55-58 °C, rest it and sear it one or two minutes per side. After resting it will have risen to about 63 °C, the USDA safe minimum for pork. Pink in the centre is correct.
Ibérico presa or Ibérico tenderloin on the kamado?
Presa has more fat and forgives a little overcooking; the tenderloin is lean and dries out sooner. If it is your first time, start with presa. With the tenderloin, sear hard and take it off as soon as it is done. Buy presa for juiciness and tenderloin for tenderness.
Other Pork cuts
- Pork ribs (St. Louis and baby back)
- Pork shoulder (pulled pork)
- Pork collar (neck)
- Pork loin (roast)
- Fresh pork belly (skinless)
- Pork knuckle (hock, bone-in and skin-on)
- Suckling pig (half, split and cleaned)
Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".