This is the month we take time to celebrate and appreciate the entire pork industry, from farmers and butchers down to the crispy bacon at the local diner.

Consider this permission to smoke a shoulder, grill some chops, and argue more over the perfect rib recipe.

Fortunately, Tasting Table came prepared with 20 Pork Cooking Tips you might want to check out. Here are our favorite 3…

1. Brine lean cuts to prevent pork from drying out

Lean cuts like loin, chops, and tenderloin are great when you want quick cooking, but they also dry out fast.

The dependable trick? Brine. A saltwater soak (or dry brine) helps the pork hold onto moisture, locking in juiciness even when the heat is doing its best to dry things out.

2. Pair pork chops with more than just apples

We all know pork + apples is a classic, but that pairing gets stale fast. Branch out.

Peaches, pineapples, or a spicy fruit salsa can all cut through that porky richness and bring something new to the vibe.

3. Add sauce to barbecue ribs at the perfect time

There are as many opinions on this one as there are BBQ sauces in a Walmart.

While slathering ribs from the start sounds tempting, sugary sauces burn quickly under heat. Most folks recommend waiting until the final 10–30 minutes (depending on your cook temp) to apply full sauce for glossy flavor that won’t char.

#Porktober Bonus:

And by the way, if you need a banger recipe to kick off the month this weekend, how about these BBQ Pork Smashburger Sliders?