Pork Smells Like Fish (What It Means)
Meat is an incredibly versatile ingredient that is packed with juicy flavors and tender textures. But, as with all fresh perishable ingredients, it is very delicate. If you as much as look at it wrong, it could spoil!
One thing we are very often asked is what it means if pork smells like fish. Essentially, if your pork cut (or any type of meat) starts smelling fishy, it has gone way past its due date! There is no saving it, and you should not eat it. We repeat: if your pork smells like fish, do not eat it.
But, why does meat even get to this point? How can you avoid it? And is there any way to prevent the pork meat from reaching this point?
In today’s jam-packed article, we will answer all of these questions and more! We will look at what makes pork go fishy, how you can avoid it, and what the best storage practices are.
Characteristics of Fresh Pork
Before looking at why pork would smell like fish, it is important to know what fresh meat should smell, look, and feel like.
That will help you easily identify when your pork has gone bad and how far it has deteriorated.
Meat is a very dangerous ingredient to take risks with. So, as we always say, rather be safe than sorry. If you ever feel unsure about the safety of an ingredient, rather toss it out than end up in the hospital with life-threatening food poisoning!
So, scary things aside, what should fresh pork look like?
Appearance
First of all, fresh meat (and pork) always has a uniform blemish-free color. There shouldn’t be any spots, discolored parts (darker or lighter), or growths on the surface. Slime counts too!
These are all signs that the meat is starting to go off or that there is significant bacterial growth.
Pork specifically should have a pale (but not dull) reddish-pink or grayish-pink color.
Some cuts do have marbling (fat). If it does, it should also be uniform in color and preferably a pinkish white. And, it shouldn’t have any slime or mold growth on it.
Odor
Raw meat should never smell.
There’s a saying we are always reminded of in cooking classes, “If it smells like fish, the fish has gone bad.” That rule pretty much applies to any type of meat!
If your raw pork is starting to smell like anything, it is starting to go off. It shouldn’t smell meaty, or like pork, and definitely not like fish.
Fresh pork is virtually odorless and you have to get your nose up in there to get a whiff of anything. Cooked pork should be a very light meaty aroma that takes on the attributes of how it was cooked — watch out for smell changes afterward!
Texture
And finally, fresh meat and cooked meat have different textures. So, fresh meat should always be firm. It shouldn’t have an elastic texture or be especially floppy.
The meat should also feel moist. By this, we don’t mean soaked in liquid.
Moist meat refers to damp meat, not wet meat. If it is dry to the touch, the meat has stood out for too long or is simply old.
And also, moist doesn’t mean slimy! The meat shouldn’t physically show any signs of liquid on its surface.
Pork Smells Like Fish – Why Does That Happen?
Now, as we have mentioned above, pork is virtually odorless. It shouldn’t have any smell to it.
But even if it does smell slightly meaty, that still isn’t similar to a fishy smell. So, why would your pork smell fishy?
There’s no point beating around the bush with this. If your pork smells fishy, it has gone off. And not in a way of “it’s starting to go off” — it has started to rot.
We know! Frustrating! And with the prices of meat being what they are, it’s actually really sad! But, you can also use this as a guideline to avoid buying rotten pork.
Now, how exactly does pork reach this stage of deterioration?
All meat has some amount of bacteria on its surface. It will inevitably rot and go bad. However, certain techniques help delay this process. For example, freezing the meat makes the bacteria completely dormant.
But, if you apply bad handling and storage techniques, these bacteria could grow rapidly, causing the meat to go from fresh to rotten in a matter of a day!
What Makes Pork Go Bad?
The real question should really be: “What makes bacteria grow more rapidly?”
Many people always think pork just goes bad. But in actuality, it spoils because of improper storing and handling.
Sure, even if you do everything perfectly, it can still spoil. But it’s mainly the improper stuff.
However, if your meat reaches a point where it smells like fish, something went wrong in the storage process. Here are a few examples:
- Your meat was left outside (at room temperature) for too long.
- The pork wasn’t properly stored inside the fridge or freezer (which allowed the bacteria to grow).
- The cut was frozen and defrosted too many times (or taken out of the fridge too many times).
- The meat was stored close to highly perishable ingredients (like other meat, vegetables, fruits, or dairy).
- You didn’t buy good fresh pork (it was already close to spoilage when you bought it).
Can You Eat Pork That Smells Like Fish?
Under no circumstances should you ever eat any type of meat that smells like fish.
The appearance of odors is usually one of the last signs that come from meat spoiling.
This means by the time you smell it, the meat has already started deteriorating quite a lot.
Equally as important, there isn’t any way to save or salvage the rest of the meat. If one part smells, all parts have already started deteriorating.
You should safely discard the rotting meat along with any other ingredients that were stored with it.
How to Properly Store Pork
The best way to store pork is inside the fridge. No exceptions!
Your fridge should also be running at a stable temperature between 32°F-40ºF (0°C-4.4ºC). Any fluctuations could cause bacteria to grow and multiply.
You also have to keep your pork in a proper airtight storage container.
If you can, always keep the meat in its original packaging for as long as you can. There is a reason the butchery sold the meat that way, and that’s because it is the most effective storage method.
If you don’t know how to store meat or you’ve already opened the package, just place it inside a clean bowl, plate, or container. Then, loosely wrap it using plastic or saran wrap (or put a lid on) to make it as airtight as possible.
Always try to store your meat in the bottom and back of the fridge.
This is so that no meat juices run onto other ingredients below it. And, the back of the fridge is always colder than the front. It will help avoid temperature fluctuations as the door opens and closes.
How to Freeze Pork
To effectively freeze pork, you first need to ensure your freezer doesn’t have fluctuating temperatures.
Meat can spoil very quickly in a freezer that constantly heats and cools. Ideally, your freezer should run between -0.4°F-32ºF (-18C to 0ºC). The colder this temperature is the better.
To wrap the meat, first, cover it with a layer of plastic or saran wrap. Make sure to wrap it properly and tightly. Then, cover it with a layer of foil. The aluminum foil will help prevent any excess freezer burn from forming on the meat.
Finally, if you want to, you can place the meat inside an airtight container, or in a bag, and place it in the freezer. Then, leave it in the coldest place.
Always label your meat — not only with what exactly you are freezing but when you froze it and what the estimated expiration (or use-by) date is.
And another handy tip is FIFO, which stands for “first in, first out.” This is a technique used in professional kitchens and almost all food industries.
Essentially, the item you placed in first (the longest ago) should be removed and used first. This will help prevent any meat from deteriorating and ensures that the oldest cuts get used first.
How Long Does Fresh Pork Last?
There isn’t an exact time frame for the shelf life of fresh produce, especially meat. Because there are so many factors that could alter this period, it is always an estimation.
For this reason, you have to know what the signs are for spoiling meat (which we mentioned above).
Fresh meat (if it is properly stored) can last between 3-5 days in the fridge.
Once the meat has been cooked, you should preferably use it within a day or two. Cooked meat will go off much quicker than raw meat, even though raw meat is more perishable.
Then, if you freeze meat, you should also ideally use it within a month. Although frozen meat will stay perfectly edible for up to 12 months, it loses a lot of its integrity. The flavor starts diluting and the texture becomes bad.
Always buy fresh meat and try to use it as soon as you can!
