I don’t eat pork however my reasons for not eating it was not because it was cool to say nor am I Muslim. I never was a big pork eater, couldn’t eat ham unless it was crispy and rarely enjoyed pork chops. Swearing off Pork was not a big sacrifice for me. Its been over 25 years since “pork has been on my fork.” Is pork good for you? Not necessarily. It all depends on the cut, how it’s handled and how it’s prepared. Pork is actually rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, such as B6, B12, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. If you’ve got a lean cut of meat, made leaner by trimming off any additional adipose tissue, you’re looking at a meal low in both calories and fat, especially when you stick to an appropriate serving size–about 3 oz. per portion. When preparing the pork, no matter the cut, you’ll need to bring the internal temperature of the meat up to 170 degrees, a temperature set in place by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). If you cook your meat to a lower temperature, it can be seen as undercooked.
Pork has been linked to a parasitic disease called trichinosis. This disease is caused by the ingestion of undercooked pork containing roundworm larvae? In recent years, due to stricter legislation, the number of cases of trichinosis has decreased exponentially with around 12 cases reported each year between 1997 and 2001. The reason for this decrease is that the pork industry has now been prohibited from allowing livestock to eat raw meat garbage–a disgusting habit that was sadly the norm at one time. We’ve also seen a decrease due to the guidelines of commercial freezing and storage of the pork, as well as the better-informed public who is buying the meat. When everything is in place, you should be safe.
I was always fascinated over why pork ribs was a “special” delicatessen. Having ribs was a celebration of some sort. Ribs at a barbecue is a first-rate grilling occasion. Ribs sometimes are rationed to folks because ribs can start a fight. You can never get greedy on ribs if you didn’t put $5 or more on it.
The fast food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King were smart enough to introduce their signature ribs to the masses. The McRib at McDonald’s was received well to the buying public but never became a permanent item on the menu. The recent Burger King 2010 summer promotion of the BK Fire-Grilled Ribs has definitely caused a popular frenzy to their loyal customers. The fast food chain reported they have sold their 10 millionth rib and probably will sell out in the next week or so. The promotion was scheduled to run from May 24 to June 20. This means they will not be able to supply the BK Fire-Grilled Ribs for the projected promotional time they had planned. Burger King now plans to shuffle its advertisements over the next week to feature a different product so it’s not broadcasting an out-of- stock product. Who knew a fast food chain could actually produce a tasty pork-rib meal that people would love?
As we receive more information on pork and how our bodies relate to it, we will see people adapt to what is best for their systems. Research in science will advance the way in which we raise livestock for food. We’ll also begin to change, finding leaner, healthier methods of bringing food to the table.
Lastly, saying pork is good for your body is not true because it is categorized as a red meat. But to say that pork isn’t necessarily bad for the body is much easier. You need to look for the leanest cuts of pork, remove any excess fat and prepare it properly to ensure that it can’t do damage to you. I guess people who love the lean cut of the ribs are on point. However, are they that delicious to start a fight? What do you think? Are you a pork lover? What’s your favorite pork dish? Do tell!
Oink! Oink!
Wanna know more about pork? click below:
Pork Checkoff-The Other white meat
Pork: Is it worth the health risk?
