When it comes to meat, the new look is lean. Apparently that is what the increasing number of health-conscious Americans want, and in turn, that iss what American farmers and the meat industry are trying to provide.
The industry still is trying to decide what constitutes ”lean” and what is an acceptable amount of fat. But one fact is clear: Lean meat is not a fad. It`s a trend that probably is here to stay.
According to industry sources, beef is 27 percent leaner than it was 25 years ago, and pork is a full 50 percent leaner. Other meats are changing also. Lamb, for instance, is being bred leaner, and so is chicken.
At least two companies are raising lower-fat cattle without the aid of antibiotics: Red River Ranch Beef, of Dallas, and Coleman Beef, from Colorado. Meat producers hope that the lower-fat meats will reverse some of the negative perceptions Americans have about eating meat, and beef in particular. Beef consumers are more discriminating than ever before, according to the research firm of Yankelovich, Kelly and White, which surveyed dining attitudes for the National Live Stock and Meat Board and the United States Department of Agriculture.
More Americans, the survey determined, are assuming a more active lifestyle: They are on the go and concerned about health. For those people
–almost half the American population–the most important meals are quick, easily prepared and low in calories.
So the meat industry has changed its tactics. Instead of trying to debunk negative publicity about cholesterol and fat, the new approach in advertising is to sell the good news: Meat is ”nutrient dense,” meaning that a lot of nutrition is packed into each calorie.
This week the industry is sponsoring National Meat Week; so undoubtedly we will hear more in commercials and ads.
To counteract its image problem, the Meat Board also has been trying to sell its product through an ad campaign geared to health professionals.
Using calorie figures for 3-ounce portions of beef, for example, the ad reports that a serving of beef falls below 200 calories and is as low in cholesterol as chicken.
But researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C., doubt the reliability of these claims. According to the advocacy group, the average serving of steak is 5.7 ounces, not the 3 ounces in the board`s ad. The beef cited in the ad was prepared by the USDA, which meticulously trims all fat before analyzing it, something few do at home.
Further, the advocacy group maintains, dietary cholesterol levels are not the real issue; it`s the kind of fat found in the meat.
A 3-ounce serving of beef, for instance, has 4.8 grams of saturated fat, which causes blood cholesterol levels to rise. In comparison, 3 ounces of skinned chicken has 0.9 gram saturated fat.
These recipes use lower-fat meats:
HERBED PORK CHOPS
Four servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: Overnight
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2/3 cup dry sherry wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
4 pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1. Mix pineapple juice, sherry, brown sugar, rosemary and garlic; mix well. Place the pork chops in a shallow glass dish; pour marinade over chops. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning meat occasionally.
2. Remove pork chops from marinade. Place on rack of broiling pan. Broil 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until done, turning and basting once with marinade.
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH DILLED MUSHROOM SAUCE
Four to five servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
3 cups sliced mushrooms (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 to 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1. Cut each tenderloin crosswise into 4 pieces. Place each piece cut-side down on a flat surface and flatten with veal mallet or cleaver to 1/2-inch thick.
2. Cook mushrooms in butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to small bowl; cover and reserve.
3. Brown tenderloin patties in oil in same frying pan, 4 at a time, over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Return browned patties to pan;
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add wine; cover tightly and cook slowly 12 to 15 minutes. Remove patties to serving platter and keep warm.
4. Whisk sour cream and dill weed into wine in pan. Add mushrooms and cook slowly until heated through (do not boil). Serve sauce with pork.
HERBED FLANK STEAK WITH VEGETABLES
Four servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
1 pound green beans, or 8 ounces brussels sprouts and 8 ounces carrots, sliced
Salt, pepper
1 beef flank steak (1 1/4 pounds)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
1. Steam green beans or brussels sprouts and carrots over 1 inch of boiling water 15 to 20 minutes or until tender-crisp. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, mix garlic, rosemary and allspice; rub into both sides of meat.
3. Place steak on rack in broiler pan so that the surface of the meat is 3 to 4 inches from the heat. Brush with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Broil 5 to 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Turn and brush steak with remaining oil. Broil 5 to 6 minutes to desired degree of doneness (rare or medium). Carve steak diagonally across the grain into very thin slices and serve with vegetables.
SAUCY BEEF `N` ZUCCHINI
Four servings
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutes
1 1/4 pounds boneless beef chuck top blade steak, cut 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
Salt, pepper
4 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
1. Divide each steak into 2 pieces, following natural seam and removing connective tissue between pieces. Cut each strip in half lengthwise.
2. Mix orange juice and garlic; sprinkle over beef, turning to coat. Cover and let stand 20 minutes.
3. Slowly cook tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, marjoram, sugar and orange rind in small saucepan 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut zucchini into long, thin strips. Quickly cook zucchini in large nonstick frying pan 4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until tender-crisp. Remove from pan and keep warm.
5. Cook beef (one-third at a time) over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange zucchini on plate;
spoon on meat and sauce.
LEAN STEAKS CAN BE JUICY
Because fat is a primary carrier of flavor and juiciness, lean meat often seems dry, tough and bland. Steaks particularly can be disappointing when they come sizzling from the grill but are too tough to chew.
As beef cooks, water and fat cook out of the meat, the California Beef Council reports in its nutrition and recipe booklet, ”Light Cooking with Beef.”
The council suggests that if you are using meat that is low in fat, such as a well-trimmed piece of top round, you should watch cooking times carefully to avoid losing the juiciness that makes beef delicious. It also suggests cooking beef to rare or medium rare.
Here are tips to keep lean meat juicy:
— Steaks should be placed in a preheated broiler or over hot coals so that the exterior browns quickly and holds in the juices.
— Steaks should not be salted until the surfaces have been browned. Salt tends to delay browning and draws out moisture. Less tender cuts of beef such as round steak benefit from a fat-free tenderizing marinade.
The Beef Council adds that to cut calories meat portions should be kept to 3 ounces and the meat should be used in combination dishes, such as stir-fry or casserole dishes.
The new, leaner pork should be cooked at lower temperatures for a brief time, says Alethea Sparks of the National Pork Producers Council.
”We used to say to cook pork for 40 minutes a pound,” Sparks says.
”Now we say to cook it at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes a pound. The meat is less fatty than it used to be, but it tastes just as good.”
