A Buyer's Guide to Lean Meats

JupiterimagesIf you're a meat lover, you don't have to sacrifice the hearty flavors and tender textures of beef, pork, and lamb in the pursuit of healthy eating. Simply becoming familiar with which protein-rich cuts to buy, among the wide array offered at butcher shops and supermarket meat counters, will help you create meals that satisfy without containing high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol.

The truth is, fat adds flavor and juiciness to meat, so when buying leaner cuts (such as top round beef) consider marinating or braising (slow cooking helps to break down the meat's structure), instead of grilling or broiling. And don't forget to trim away excess fat around the cut before you begin cooking.

Beef

Making the Grade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades meat according to standards of quality. The top three designations -- Prime, Choice, and Select-- are what you'll see at the market. Prime indicates the cuts that are most tender and marbled (containing intramuscular fat), Choice (the majority of meats sold) has less marbling, and Select is the leanest (about two thirds the fat of Prime).

What Does "Lean" Mean?

To qualify as lean, a 3-ounce serving will contain 6 or fewer grams of total fat, 3 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 80 milligrams of cholesterol. To put it in context, compare one of the cuts below (whose average saturated fat count is around 2 grams per 3-ounce serving) with a well-marbled rib-eye steak, with double (4 grams) the saturated fat.

Round 'Em Up.

Choose cuts labeled round or top loin (which come from the steer's leg and hind areas).

Eye of round -- For braising and stews, or grilled after marinating.
Try it: Marinated Round Eye Steaks

Top round (sometimes called London broil) and round tip -- These are versatile cuts that, especially when marinated, can be broiled, pan-broiled, stir-fried, and grilled.
Try it: London Broil with Cherry Balsamic Sauce

Top sirloin -- It's ready for the grill, especially when marinated. Don't confuse this with meat from the short loin, which includes the tender (and much more fat laden) fillet and strip steaks.
Try it: Grilled Steak with Fresh Corn Salad

Beef tenderloin -- Although it has 3 grams of saturated fat per three-ounce serving, it's lower in cholesterol than both top round and top sirloin, and makes a great roast.
Try it: Beef Tenderloin with Madeira Sauce

Pork

The beauty of pork is that even the leanest cuts are tender and flavorful when cooked properly (the lack of fat means it's easy to overcook them). So go for the pork tenderloin, which has less than half the saturated fat of a rib roast. The belly, which, we admit, is absolutely delicious, has the highest percentage of fats.

Tenderloin -- Use a spice rub and roast, or butterfly it and broil or grill. Also can be cut into medallions.
Try it: Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Boneless loin roast -- Braising suits this cut, too.
Try it: Rosemary and Garlic Crusted Pork Loin with Butternut Squash and Potatoes

Loin chop -- Sautéed, grilled or broiled, the thicker cuts (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick) are less likely to dry out when cooked.
Try it: Grilled Pork Chops with Candied Yams

Lamb

Most lamb available is USDA Choice grade, and half of its fats are unsaturated. As with pork and beef, lamb's leanest cuts come from the areas of the animal that are most exercised, the leg and shank areas.

Foreshank -- When braised, this cut is fork-tender.
Try it: Moroccan Lamb Shanks

Leg -- Roasted or broiled, the leg can also be cut into steaks and sirloin chops
Try it: Mint-Pesto Rubbed Leg of Lamb


The Numbers" (based on a three-ounce serving)

		Total Fat (gr.)	Saturated Fat (gr.)	Cholesterol (mg.)
Beef
	Eye of Round	4.0	1.5	59
	Top Round	4.3	1.5	76
	Top Sirloin	5.8	2.2	69
Pork
	Tenderloin	4.1	1.4	67
	Boneless Loin Roast	6.1	2.2	66
	Loin Chop	6.9	2.5	70
Lamb
	Leg (lean portion)	6.89	2.8	75.7

*From the USDA's The Foods We Eat online search tool, based on the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)

The Healthy Eating Bookshelf

For more information and recipes, check out two excellent books from meat experts who are also great cooks:
"How to Cook Meat" by Christopher Schlesinger and John Willoughby
"The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly

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