Vietnamese Grilled Pork features lime and fresh herbs.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Succulent yet low in fat, pork tenderloin and chops are a great way to liven up your usual weeknight dinner repertoire. Meals featuring pork are an excellent source of thiamin and a good source of niacin, riboflavin, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. Pork’s also packed with phosphorus, an essential mineral our cells need to function properly. And it provides us with almost five times the selenium of beef, and twice as much as chicken; selenium has been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

When buying chops, loin cutlets, or tenderloin for your pork recipes, look for fresh, reddish-pink meat. In their original wrapping, raw cutlets or chops will keep for one to two days in the fridge; a refrigerated raw pork tenderloin will stay fresh for two to four days. Refrigerated cooked pork will keep for four to five days. To freeze pork, wrap the meat well in plastic, foil, or butcher paper and store at 18°F. Thaw frozen, wrapped pork in the refrigerator. An important note regarding cooking pork: Since today’s pork is so lean, overcooking will render it tough, so keep a close eye on it (and have a meat thermometer handy).

Some ideas for cooking boneless pork cutlets: Sauté them by heating a bit of oil or butter in a stovetop skillet. Then season the cutlets with salt and pepper or your favorite herbs, and cook quickly at medium-high heat, turning them once, until the meat at the center is white but still juicy, a total of four to five minutes. Check their temperature with a meat thermometer; pork cutlets are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Or you can braise cutlets by heating oil or butter in a skillet and browning the seasoned cutlets for one minute on each side. Then add broth or wine and simmer until done, about two to three minutes.