Center cut pork chops, also called pork loin rib chops, can include the rib bone or may be boneless. Whether you like to broil, grill, braise or pan-fry pork chops, don't overcook the meat or it will become tough. Center cut pork chops provide plenty of protein, B vitamins and minerals.
When buying pork, check the label for words like enhanced, seasoned, basted, injected, marinated or salted. Any of these descriptions indicate that the meat has been injected with water, salt, sodium phosphate and also possibly spices for flavoring. Enhanced pork chops look, and can be cooked, just like regular pork, but they're less dry and stay tender because the water adds moisture and the sodium phosphate holds the water in the meat, according to TheMeatSource.com. If the pork has been enhanced, it already has extra salt, so don’t add more when preparing the meat at home.
Basic Nutrition
A 3-ounce serving of boneless center cut pork chop has 128 calories and 18 grams of complete protein, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. This amount of protein gives you at least 30 percent of the recommended daily intake. This serving size has 5 grams of total fat, including 2 grams of saturated fat and 46 milligrams of cholesterol. Unenhanced pork chops have 38 milligrams of sodium.
Vitamins
A 3-ounce serving of boneless center cut pork chop is a rich source of thiamin, vitamin B-6, niacin and vitamin B-12. It provides 0.7 milligrams, or 58 percent of the recommended daily value, of thiamin; 0.4 milligrams, or 31 percent, of vitamin B-6; 4 milligrams, or 25 percent, of niacin; and 0.5 micrograms, or 21 percent, of vitamin B-12. You’ll also get 15 percent of the daily value of riboflavin. Thiamin, niacin, thiamin and riboflavin are all B vitamins that are needed for healthy skin, to convert food to energy and to keep your nervous system functioning. Vitamins B-6 and B-12 lower your risk of heart disease by removing homocysteine from your blood, according to Harvard Health Publications. Center cut pork chops also provide 4 percent of the daily value of vitamin D, which must be present for your body to absorb calcium.
Minerals
One 3-ounce serving of center cut pork chop provides 30 micrograms, or 55 percent, of the trace mineral selenium, an antioxidant that regulates thyroid hormones. Pork chops have two minerals essential for building bones: 18 milligrams, or 4 percent, of magnesium and 174 milligrams, or 25 percent, of phosphorus. You’ll get 354 milligrams, or 8 percent of the recommended daily value, of potassium, which is vital for muscle contraction and nerve functioning. Pork chops provide at least 3 percent of your daily amount of oxygen-carrying iron. They also have 1 milligram of zinc, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but is 9 percent of the recommended value for men and 12 percent for women. Zinc keeps your immune system healthy and ensures normal growth and neurological development.
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