Dr Oz: Pork Health + Shopping Guide & Tenderloin & Kale Recipe

Dr Oz: Is Pork Really Good For You?

Cheaper is certainly better, for the most part. But as part of a Food Truth investigation, Dr Oz wanted to find out if we could be putting our health at risk by consuming too much of “the other white meat.”

Pork’s popularity is on the rise and there are more ways to enjoy pork now than ever before. Americans eat almost 50 pounds of pork per person each year, but what has happened to the pork reaching consumers?

Investigative reporter Mark Schatzker explained that right now, the price for pork is low. Pork is the most consumed meat in the world, partly due to how cheap it is.

Mark explained that pork today has 50% less fat than it did in the 1950’s. Fat is the most expensive part of the animal to produce. Factory farms are also responsible for cheaper products.

Dr Oz: Chemicals In Pork

Mark continued to explain that you may think removing the fat in pork is a good thing, but it’s not that simple. Because a lot of flavor and moisture disappears when the fat is removed, the pork industry has turned to a mixture of salt, sodium phosphate, and water to make up for it.

Sodium phosphate is deemed safe by the FDA but it’s typically added to medicine for constipation and is also found in detergents. Essentially, it’s a chemical and that means you’re paying for water.

If you want more flavor and moisture in your pork, do it yourself by mixing salt with sugar and water to make a brine. Allow the pork to brine for an hour before cooking it.

Dr Oz: Shopping For Pork

When buying pork at the store, look for an ingredient list that has only one item: pork. You can also look for “no antibiotics added” on the label as well as “free range.”

But how do you know what cuts of pork to look for when shopping for pork? According to Mark, Americans are pretty boring with their pork cut selections. When Americans think of pork, they typically go with bacon or pork chops.

Instead of pork chops or bacon, Mark suggested you try pork shoulder. If you overcook it, you are left with pulled pork, but a dry, rubbery pork chop. Instead of going just for bacon, Mark suggested you try pork belly. You can also purchase a pork loin, pork sirloin, or ham.

As for cooking with pork, Dr Oz brought in Rocco DiSpirito to share one of his favorite one-pan pork dinners that you’ll want to make for dinner tonight. You can find that tasty recipe on the next page.

Dr Oz: Pork Tenderloin With Braised Kale & Olives Recipe Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs pork tenderloin
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion – sliced thin
• 5 C curly kale – tough ribs removed, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 C fat-free, salt-free crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 C no-salt-added canned cannelloni beans
• olive oil cooking spray
• salt
• 6 garlic cloves – sliced thin
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 C water
• 16 oil-cured olives – pitted
• 1/2 oz pecorino Romano cheese – finely grated

Dr Oz: Pork Tenderloin With Braised Kale & Olives Recipe Directions

1. Lightly spray a large, nonstick skillet with nonstick spray
2. Put the skillet over medium-high heat
3. Dry the pork with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on all sides
4. Add the tenderloin to the skillet and cook for approximately 2 minutes, until browned on one side
5. Transfer the tenderloin to a wire rack set over a plate then set aside
6. Lower the heat to medium
7. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until golden brown
8. Add the red pepper flakes and kale, then sauce for about minute until the kale begins to wilt
9. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes, until almost all the water has evaporated
10. Remove the lid from the skillet and add the olives, tomatoes, and beans
11. Cook for another minutes until the sauce coats the leaves
12. Add the saved pork tenderloin to the skillet along with the collected juice and cook to desired doneness
13. Remove the pork, slice, and serve among four plates
14. Add the cheese to the kale season with salt if needed
15. Spoon some kale next to the pork on each plate