Skinless
chicken
breast:
139 calories,
3.1g fat
Pork
tenderloin:
120 calories,
3g fat
Beef
tenderloin:
175 calories,
8.1g fat
*;Per 3-ounce serving
Healthy, tasty, cheap—
from chops to roasts, this little
piggy is surprisingly lean
The Perks
of Pork
Nutrition
t
Bestselling cookbook author Michael Ruhlman
remembers when he first fell in love with pork.
He was a senior at Duke University, traveling the
back roads of ;North Carolina, when he stopped at
a shack with smoke billowing out the back. “Got my
first plate of genuiiiine eastern Carolina barbecue,”
Ruhlman, now 48, recalls. “Life was never the same.”
FROM TOP: LEVI BROWN (FOOD STYLIST: BRET KURZWEIL; PROP STYLIST: ANGELA CAMPOS);
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPH NIEMANN. NU TRI TION SOURCE: NATIONAL PORK BOARD
Americans share his passion for pork: Restaurants in
2011 featured 7 percent more pork dishes than they did the
previous year, and pork production is up 2 percent. It’s a
craving that dates back to our ham-loving forefathers, says
James Villas, author of ;Pig: King of the Southern Table. The
first domesticated pigs arrived in North America in 1539
and quickly became a staple. Colonial Virginians ate so
much pork that 18th-century writer William Byrd said
they were prone to grunt rather than speak.
For modern waist-conscious diners, pork can be a
healthy protein choice, as lean as chicken or fish.
Several cuts, including rib and loin chops, and sirloin and
top loin roast, meet USDA guidelines for lean meat, with
fewer than 10 grams of fat per serving. The healthiest
cut is ultralean pork tenderloin, says Joy Bauer, nutrition
expert for the Today show. Lean cuts of pork cook quickly,
though, so keep a watchful eye. —Monica Bhide
PORK CHOPS
WITH APPLE
AND ARUGULA
Recipe
Adapted from Jeffrey
Saad’s Global Kitchen:
Recipes Without Borders
Serves 2
2 pork chops
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 cup finely
chopped shallots
1 medium green apple,
cut into ½-inch cubes
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup brandy
1 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons fresh
rosemary, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
2 cups arugula,
washed and dried
Rinse and pat the
pork chops dry with a
paper towel. Season
with salt and pepper.
In a sauté pan over
medium-high heat, add
the oil, heating until it
just starts to haze. Add
the pork chops and sauté
until golden on both
sides, about 3 minutes
per side. Closely monitor
the heat so the pork
chops get a deep golden
brown but the bits at the
bottom of the pan don’t
burn—they are the flavor
foundation for your
sauce. Remove the pork
chops and set aside.
Add the shallots,
chopped apple, and garlic to the same pan. Cook
for 2 minutes or until
golden. Use tongs to
scrape the bits off the
bottom of the pan. Add
the brandy and let boil,
reducing the liquid by
half. Add the apple juice
and rosemary, and boil
for 1 minute. Add the
chicken stock and boil
(reduce) until you have a
nice saucy consistency.
Add the butter. Turn off
the heat and stir just until the butter is melted.
Add the arugula.
Place each pork chop
on a plate. Pour the
sauce with the arugula
on top of each chop. ;
CHEW ON THIS
By Brian Wansink, Ph.D.
WHAT WOULD BATMAN EAT?
At the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, we’ve found an easy way to help kids make healthier
choices, and it works with adults, too. Before we took kids to a fast-food restaurant where
they would decide between french fries and apple slices, we asked half of them, “What would
Batman choose?” Regardless of how they answered, 40 percent more kids who were asked
the question opted for the apples. The next time you’re facing a food dilemma, ask yourself
what someone you admire would pick. It might motivate you to select the healthier fare.
