Degrees of Pork

• Fresh, uncontaminated pork is usually safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Foodsafety.gov. You can measure the internal temperature using a cooking or meat thermometer. However, make sure you get a reading from deep in the middle of the meat. Measurements from the outer layers may read 145 degrees F before the inside has a chance to cook. Nonetheless, this is a good rule of thumb: When the center's at 145 F, it's time to serve. If you want your pork well-done, leave it to cook to 170 degrees F, according to food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson, writing on the North Dakota State University website.

Time to Roast Pork

• Loin or crown pork roast needs 25 to 30 minutes per pound of meat in an oven set to 325 degrees F, according to the Foodsafety.gov website. So, a 4-lb. pork roast would need from one hour and 40 minutes to two hours to cook. Rule of thumb for a tenderloin roast follows the same weight guidelines, but you should set the oven to 425 degrees F, as the meat cuts tend to be much smaller and less tough.

Rest Time

• Pork roasts need at least three minutes of rest time before serving, according to Foodsafety.gov. Rest time simply means leaving the joint of meat to sit at room temperature before slicing and serving. During rest time, the meat stays at a temperature that kills off bacteria and germs. If you serve your pork roast in the middle of the dining table, that gives you a perfect chance to let the meat rest before eating.

Servings

• When it comes to judging the size of pork joint to buy for your dinner, don't be fooled by uncooked weight. Pork loses around a quarter of its weight when cooked. Depending on your family's appetite, around a quarter pound of raw pork joint will feed one person. That means one meal for a family of four needs a boneless joint that weighs at least a pound.