Pork Isn’t the Villain

Pork isn’t the fat evil it used to be. Just watch the cut of meat you buy. Three ounces of cooked lean pork tenderloin have 4 grams of fat, but 3 ounces of lean blade loin has 17.5 grams of fat. You can trim any excess fat from the tenderloins to get the fat count even lower.

Because the tenderloin is so low in fat, it’s important not to overcook it. To prevent it from drying out, remove the meat from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 to 165 degrees and allow it to stand while preparing the sauce.

The orange mustard sauce that accompanies this grilled pork is full of flavor but not full of fat like most rich sauces. One teaspoon of butter is swirled into the sauce for flavor and consistency.

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GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ORANGE MUSTARD SAUCE

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 bunch sage leaves

4 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers

Salt, pepper

Grated peel of 1 orange

Juice of 2 oranges

1/2 cup nonfat chicken broth

3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced sage

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon butter

Sliced green onions

Make small slits all over surface of meat. Insert garlic and small sage leaves into slits. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine orange peel and juice, chicken broth, mustard and minced garlic, minced sage and white pepper. Pour sauce over pork tenderloins in shallow glass dish. Let marinate several hours.

Remove pork, reserving marinade, and grill loins on all sides until meat thermometer registers 160 to 165 degrees, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, loosely tented with foil.

Bring marinade to boil and swirl in butter. Slice pork and serve with sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

122 calories; 327 mg sodium; 57 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 0.16 gram fiber.