Five Great Lean Beef Cuts for Healthy Cooking

Lean Selections and Best Ways to Prepare Them for Maximum Tenderness

Jun 19, 2009

Here are five different cuts of lean beef for healthy cooking with the best methods for preparation. Search for one when looking for lowfat beef ideas for dinner.

Beef doesn't have to be avoided completely for a healthy diet. There are quite a few lean cuts of beef that can be found at any meat counter which can be prepared in a variety of ways. These cuts come from three of the five major primal cuts of beef: Chuck, Rib, Loin, Round and Flank/Brisket. Round steaks and roasts and loin steaks and roasts have the lowest amounts of fat of all the cuts of beef available.

Here are five great choices for lean beef that can be used in healthy cooking, with the best ways to prepare them for maximum flavor and tenderness.

Eye Round Roast

This comes from the 'Round Primal Cut' of beef and is the lowest both in calories and grams of saturated fat per 3-oz. serving (144 Calories and 1.4 g Saturated fat) of all the lean cuts of beef. Eye Round Roast is best oven roasted while the Eye Round Steak can be pan fried or braised. A great way to serve a tender Eye Round Roast is to oven bake a seasoned 3 lb. roast at about 325 degrees. For medium-rare, the internal temperature will read 145 degrees.

Top Round Steak

Top round steak comes from the 'Round Primal Cut' of beef. Great in both flavor and versatility in cooking, this cut has 157 calories per 3-oz. serving. Top round steak is easily grilled and broiled after a period of time in a marinade, and can also be sliced thin and pan fried. For a recipe using Top Round Steak, try Stir Fried Beef and Asparagus with Ginger.

Round Tip RoastThis is another roast that comes from the 'Round Primal Cut' of beef. Round tip roasts have about 148 calories per 3-oz. serving with 1.9 grams of Saturated fat. Round tip roasts can be found in both smaller and larger sized roasts and is best prepared when it is oven roasted at 325 degrees. It is also great using other dry heat methods, such as broiling and griling.

Flank Steak

Flank steak is a popular cut of beef, and this steak comes from the 'Flank/Brisket Primal Cut' of beef. Flank steak is sometimes found packaged folded up since it is a longer, flat piece of steak. After cooking, it is sliced across the grain to ensure tenderness. It is best grilled or broiled and often marinated before cooking. Try Marinated Flank Steak with Red Wine Vinegar, Dry Vermouth and Herb Garlic Marinade using the flank steak.

Tri-Tip Roast

This is an excellent tasting roast and is perfect for barbecuing outdoors. Tri-Tip comes from the 'Loin Primal Cut' of beef. The name comes from the shape of it - it is found in a triangular shape roast, and has 158 calories per 3-oz. serving. Tri Tip roasts can be roasted, grilled and broiled. Since the cut is more tender than the above cuts, it can withstand higher heats when being cooked.

Beef cuts from The Meat Buyers Guide, 1990 Second Printing version. National Association of Meat Purveyors.

The copyright of the article Five Great Lean Beef Cuts for Healthy Cooking in Healthy Cooking is owned by Renee Shelton. Permission to republish Five Great Lean Beef Cuts for Healthy Cooking in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.