DEL.ICIO.USHEALTHY EATING
Pork shouldn’t be overlooked as lean, light entree
For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, November 24, 2008
When dining out, dieters often scan the menu for chicken and fish to find dishes lower in fat and calories. They may even search out a lean cut of beef — such as top sirloin or strip steak — and order it sliced on top of a salad. But pork often gets overlooked as a lighter protein entree possibility.
It’s true that the nutrition facts reveal a full rack of baby back ribs slathered in barbecue sauce can rack up 1,000 calories, but there’s more than one way to serve a pig. Many cuts of pork are actually as lean as skinless chicken. The National Pork Board Web site is proud to report that “Through changes in feeding and breeding techniques, pork producers have responded to consumer demand for leaner pork. Today’s pork has 16 percent less fat and 27 percent less saturated fat than 15 years ago.” Pork tenderloin is famously fit for weight control and meets USDA guidelines for “extra lean” (less than 5 grams fat per three-ounce serving). In fact, a three-ounce portion of pork tenderloin contains less than 3 grams of total fat and only 120 calories. The next step up, qualifying for the USDA’s “lean” category, is pork loin with 147 calories and a smidge over 5 grams of fat per three-ounce serving.
LOUIE FAVORITE/lfavorite@ajc.com
Executive Chef Dean Dupuis consistently featured pork on the menu at South City Kitchen in Midtown.
LOUIE FAVORITE/lfavorite@ajc.com
Dean Dupuis braises pork shank in cider spiked with chile and serves it with stone-ground grits, green tomato chow chow and Brussels sprouts accessorized with Benton’s bacon.
More healthy eating links
Look for loin
Registered dietitian Ceci Snyder with the National Pork Board says, “The best way to find leaner cuts of pork is to look for the words ‘loin’ or ‘chop’ on the menu. When you see a center cut pork chop, it’s taken from the loin so will be a lean choice with 153 calories and about 6 grams of fat per three-ounce serving.” Of course, a three-ounce serving isn’t the usual size served in restaurants, but you can use that as a comparative guide between cuts.
Chefs at the two South City Kitchen locations consistently feature pork on their menus. At the Vinings location, Chef Chip Ulbrich grills center cut pork chops and serves them with sautéed mustard greens and tosses in another nod to the pig with tasso ham mac and cheese. Chef Dean Dupuis at the restaurant’s Midtown location braises pork shank in cider spiked with chile and serves it with stone-ground grits, green tomato chow chow and Brussels sprouts accessorized with Benton’s bacon. Snyder points out that, “The pork shank, which is from the leg, is lean because it’s a well exercised part of the pig.” Dupuis likes the cut because he can create classic braised dishes with less menu sticker shock, “It’s a nice change from osso bucco or veal shank. Pork is always more reasonable and because it’s so rich it’s great to present with chilies, pickles, mustards and sides like vinegary collard greens,” he says. Dietitian’s note: those acidic ingredients add lots of flavor without additional fat.
Another menu trend, as witnessed by the South City Kitchen’s chefs adding flavor to side dishes with bacon and ham, “is to pair leaner cuts of pork with the flavors of fattier cuts on the same plate,” Snyder says. “For instance, you could have pork tenderloin as the entree served with a garnish of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly.”
Preparing pork
This is not your grandmother’s pork roast. Snyder says pork is best when cooked to medium doneness ( an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit). “Because today’s pork is so lean, it’s important not to overcook it so it’s juicy and tender. Think slightly pink.”
Dupuis says five years ago if he’d serve pork with a little pink in the middle, his customers would send it back but, “It’s not as bad as it once was when everyone freaked out.” If worries about trichinosis still haunt you, know that it’s nonexistent today. If it was present in pork, food safety experts say that cooking to 137 degrees Fahrenheit would kill the bad bug, a temperature well below what’s recommended.
How would you like your pork produced?
An emerging trend in producing pork has created a new category called “niche pork,” often naturally raised locally without antibiotics, growth promotants or animal byproducts in the feed. Also includes producers who raise heirloom breeds such as Berkshire pork. A recent survey conducted by the National Pork Board found that a quarter of consumers who choose these pork products do so because of “healthfulness.”
Pork’s nutrition power
Pork is an excellent source of:
• Thiamin. This key vitamin supports the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Pork contains 54 percent of the daily value needed for thiamin;
• Niacin, involved in the metabolism of sugars and fatty acids;
• Riboflavin, which has an important role in the release of energy from foods;
• Vitamin B6, which plays a critical role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism; and
• Phosphorus, which strengthens bones and generates energy in cells.
and a good source of:
• Zinc, a key player in energy metabolism, wound healing and the immune system; and
• Potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure.
Services »
