Food & Drink by Shari Darling For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com Controversy exists as to whether pork is good for us. Personally, I think that it has a bad rap. I am a fan of this protein and do eat it inmoderation. Pork offers a powerhouse of essential vitamins and minerals. In fact, it is believed that just three ounces of pork provides a third of our daily requirement for thiamine, niacin, selenium and vitamin B6. This meat is also rich in B12, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc. Three ounces of pork also gives you approximately 22 grams of protein. Did you know that pork contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for your body’s growth and maintenance? Yes, pork is a saturated fat. The good news is that some cuts are leaner than others.The nutritional value of pork varies greatly, depending on the weight and cut. The richest cuts are bacon, ribs and butt. Three ounces of pork ribs have about 232 calories, 22 grams of protein and 15 grams of fat. The cuts that have ‘loin’ in their name tend to be the leanest. A three-ounce portion of pork tenderloin offers generally about 163 calories, about 21 grams of protein and only about 2.98 grams of total fat. (This is as lean as a skinless chicken breast.) You could say that I am addicted to Char Siu (Chinese barbecued pork). In the past, I have driven from Peterborough to Chinatown in Toronto just to get my fix of this delicious meat! Now I make it at home. Sliced Char Siu can be served as an aside to a variety of other Chinese rice and pasta dishes. PORK 46 | www.snowbirds.org
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