To earn a place in a healthy recipe, pork must be lean. You must start out with a lean cut, or resort to meticulous trimming, or—even better—both!

The healthiest cut of pork is the tenderloin, which packs plenty of flavor and personality despite its trimness. And it really is trim. Consider the following nutritional counts for 1 ounce of raw pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, and skinless boneless chicken breast:

Surprisingly, pork tenderloin ranks right up there with the chicken breast in calories, fat, and cholesterol. However, these cheery numbers only apply when the “visible fat” is removed. So, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and get to work.