Comparing ‘beef’ with ‘pork’ as if each were one food is difficult because both animals contain very lean cuts and very fatty ones. Pork tenderloin can be leaner than many beef steaks, and a lean beef cut can be very different from a heavily marbled one.
With lean cooked cuts, protein is very similar. The more consistent difference is iron: beef usually provides more.
A representative comparison of lean cooked cuts
| Per 100 g cooked | Lean beef | Lean pork tenderloin/loin |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~190–210 | ~150–170 |
| Protein | ~28–30 g | ~26–28 g |
| Fat | ~7–9 g | ~3–5 g |
| Iron | ~2–3 mg | ~0.8–1.2 mg |
Protein overlaps heavily, with only a few grams separating representative cuts. Iron separates more clearly: a serving of lean beef can provide roughly twice as much as lean pork.
The table is meant to isolate species using reasonably comparable lean cuts, not to describe every steak and chop. If pork tenderloin is compared with a highly marbled beef steak, much of the difference comes from the cut rather than the animal itself.
Pork can be surprisingly lean
Pork tenderloin and some loin cuts contain little visible fat. Cooked and trimmed, they can land around 3–5 grams of fat per 100 grams, less than many beef cuts.
That is why ‘pork’ should not automatically mean fatty meat. Bacon, pork belly and ribs do not describe tenderloin.
Whether visible edge fat is eaten matters too. Trimming can change the final composition of a chop or loin, so two people can get different fat amounts from the same named cut depending on preparation.
Beef has a clearer iron advantage
A lean beef cut can provide around 2–3 mg of iron per 100 grams compared with roughly 1 mg in lean pork. Part of that iron is heme iron, which is generally absorbed more efficiently than nonheme iron from plant foods.
If iron intake is the specific goal, this difference matters more than a tiny protein gap.
That does not make beef the only useful iron source, and every beef cut is not identical. Serving size, cut, and the rest of the diet still determine how much iron a meal contributes.
Pork stands out for thiamin
Pork is particularly rich in vitamin B1, or thiamin. Beef provides thiamin too, but usually much less. Both meats also contribute vitamin B12, zinc, selenium and other B vitamins in varying amounts.
This is why a useful comparison should not stop at protein and calories. Two meats with similar protein can contribute different micronutrient strengths and fit a diet for different reasons.
Fat depends heavily on the cut and trimming
A very lean beef steak can approach lean pork; a heavily marbled steak can be far fattier. Pork shows the same spread between tenderloin, chops, ribs and belly.
A species-wide comparison therefore only works when the cut and visible fat are specified.
Cooking method can also erase part of the gap. Added oil, butter, breading, or a rich sauce can change the finished plate more than a few grams of natural fat separating two lean cuts.
Processed meats belong in a different comparison
Bacon, sausage and cured pork should not be compared with fresh lean beef as if they were the same kind of food. Processing can raise sodium substantially and alter fat, water and calorie density. Processed beef products have the same issue.
If the question is fresh beef versus fresh pork, compare equivalent fresh cuts. Mixing fresh meat with bacon or sausage answers a different nutrition question.
The useful rule
For protein, lean beef and lean pork are very close. Beef usually wins for iron; pork is stronger in thiamin. For calories and fat, ask about the cut first—that choice can matter more than the animal.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Composition of cooked beef and pork cuts.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Iron — Heme iron and absorption context.