Pork Tenderloin

For a long time now we have been taught that pork is bad and chicken is good. Few things in life are that simple and this is no exception. Granted most cuts of pork, though delicious are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. There is a cut of pork, however, that is healthy – the tenderloin. Here are the findings of a study recently conducted by Duke University:

Chicken (3 oz.)                                  Pork tenderloin (3 oz.)

140 calories                                       139 calories

25g protein                                        24g protein

3.1g fat (0.9g sat., 0.7g polyun.)    4.1g fat (1.4g sat., 0.49 polyun.)

73g cholesterol                                  67g cholesterol

As you can see the numbers are quite similar. The discrepancy in saturated fat is due to pork having one-third of its sat. fat coming from stearic acid, which does not contribute to increased bad cholesterol levels. Pork is also low in sodium and a good source of potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, riboflavin, and vitamins B12 and B6.

The belief that chicken is healthy is great in theory, but most chicken available in our markets have been “engineered” to the point that it seriously challenges the idea of good health. Take a look at the number of 5’9” supermodels populating most 5^th grade classrooms and you will understand why.

This weekend at the cooking demonstration I did a simple sautee of said protein.  One member came up and asked what we were preparing. 

I answered, “pork tenderloin.”

She said, “ooh, I love that.”

She picked up her sample and took a bite, “This is delicious.  What kind of fish is it?”

I said, “Pig fish.”

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Share some of your pork tenderloin recipes if you wish in the comments section.