Pork: The Forgotten Lean Meat

Many people think of skinless chicken breast as their default lean protein option, but don’t forget than certain cuts of pork can also be quite low in fat. Pork tenderloin and pork loin can both be very heart healthy options. Tenderloins don’t need much trimming, but boneless chops cut from the loin have a white ring of fat around the edge that you can easily trim away. The interior meat has very little marbling.

In case you have worries about your pork drying out, lean meat doesn’t have to take on the consistency of shoe leather. Don’t use that as an excuse to buy fattier meat. In the recipe that follows, you’ll see a good technique for lean pork that will still produce flavorful, juicy results. One important step is to let the pan get good and hot before adding the pork, that will seal in the juices and produce a nice golden color. Also, choose pork chops that are slightly thicker; they will also retain moisture better than thin ones. (And they’re easier to stuff because you don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to slice a pocket into the side).

While nobody wants to overdo their pork and toughen it, you really don’t want to undercook your pork and be at risk of getting sick. The best solution, buy a meat thermometer – and use it. They usually cost about 5 dollars, which is soooo worth it if you avoid even ONE bout of food poisoning, isn’t it? Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, and you’ll know it’s safe. No need to cook it higher than that, it will only get drier. In the recipe that follows, if the pork reaches 160 degrees before the spinach and mushrooms are hot, just take it out of the pan. (Pork chops that are 3/4 to 1 inch thick take about 7 or 8 minutes to be fully cooked.)

This recipe utilizes the convenience of frozen spinach and canned mushrooms to make a super-quick weeknight meal. The extra mixture used to stuff the pork chops is cooked alongside them and serves double duty as a side dish. If you have fresh mushrooms and spinach on hand, by all means use them! Just measure 2 cups cooked spinach, and about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms.

And in case you want to know more about “the other white meat”, read here for tons of info on buying, storing and cooking pork.

Pork Chops Stuffed With Spinach and Mushrooms

2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out
8 ounces canned sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 (5-ounce) center-cut pork chops, trimmed of all visible fat
Salt
Cooking oil spray

Combine spinach, mushrooms, garlic, and black pepper in a mixing bowl; stir to blend.
Place pork chops on a cutting board and use a paring knife to slice a pocket into the side of each chop to hold the filling. Enlarge the pocket carefully without cutting all the way through. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of spinach mixture to stuff each chop. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
Season pork lightly with salt and pepper. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium flame. When hot, add pork and cook until golden brown underneath. Turn chops over and move to one side of pan. Add remaining spinach mixture to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F in the thickest part. Divide spinach-mushroom mixture between 2 plates and top each with one pork chop.

Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 261 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 13 g total carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 43 g protein, 924 mg sodium.

Fun Fact: Older meat thermometers may say to cook pork to 170 degrees, but this guideline has been revised to 160 in recent decades so you can rest confident that 160 degree pork is A-OK.