Pork is a globally popular protein that rivals chicken in consumption while many people avoid it for religious or personal reasons. In North America, beef often overshadows pork because of flavor preferences and cultural associations. Persistent myths about pork include beliefs that it is inherently fatty. Actual fat content depends largely on the specific cut rather than the animal, and red meats vary widely in leanness. Fish and poultry are generally leaner, and very lean options like venison or rabbit are less commonly eaten. Consumer perception often praises marbling in beef while criticizing similar fat in pork; selecting lean cuts reduces fat intake.
Pork doesn't really need to be talked up. It's already one of the most-loved and most-consumed foods, going toe-to-toe with chicken in worldwide popularity despite chickens being cheaper to raise (and the billions of people who don't eat pork for religious or personal reasons). That being said, pork often takes a back seat to beef in North America thanks to beef's flavor, personal taste, and cultural heritage.
This is one I used to hear a lot in my cooking classes, and it's a bit unfair to pork; after all, very few types of meat are always lean. While venison and rabbits spring to mind (I actually raise rabbits for meat myself), relatively few people eat those. Fish and poultry are usually leaner, but red meats are almost always a mixed bag. Realistically, the fattiness of a given piece of meat comes down to the cut more so than the animal, and pork is no exception.
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