The effects of sodium nitrite on weight loss, pH, color development, color and lipid oxidation for the cooking of longissimus pork muscle were studied. Higher cooking temperature and grinding of sample increased the extent of weight loss, but sodium nitrite lowered it. Cooking decreased pH and sodium nitrite lowered the level of decrease in pH. Sodium nitrite developed color and controlled discoloration with higher lightness. The content of malonaldehyde was generally accelerated by cooking, but was considerably reduced at higher cooking temperature and for longer cooking time. Sodium nitrite acted as an antioxidant but the antioxidant effect decreased with increasing cooking temperature and time. Cooking reduced the extent of each lipid on the whole. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were the major phospholipids of pork, and their contents decreased during cooking. The major fatty acids in total lipids were oleic acid and palmitic acid. Those in phospholipids were linoleic acid and palmitic acid. The high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential fatty acids in phospholipids decreased during cooking. Sodium nitrite had an antioxidant effect on polyunsaturated fatty acids in both total lipids and phospholipids.