Meat 
Healthy Cooking Methods for Meat Your grandmother may have survived all those delicious
fried food meals decades ago, but that doesn't mean the meals were
healthy. As a general rule, folks in
times past were much more active than us today.
Before all the modern inventions we enjoy, men and women worked twice as
hard to achieve many of the same household tasks (washing dishes and clothes,
cleaning, farming, gardening, etc.) So,
fried foods weren't as much of an issue as they are in today's
"inactive" society. The good news is you don't need lard and fatback to
make meals taste delicious and juicy.
We've put together some healthy cooking ideas for beef, pork and
lamb. Even if you're an active, healthy
individual, it never hurts to choose the healthy way of cooking. After all, heart disease, diabetes and high
cholesterol can affect anyone at any time. Healthy preparation and cooking of meat involves
lowering the amount of unhealthy fat and salt without sacrificing tenderness or
juiciness. And it matters not what you
eat oftentimes, but how you cook it! You
can cook a steak the healthy way or the unhealthy way. The same goes for roast, burgers, lamb chops,
pork loins, etc. Even minor changes in
the way you cook can help you lose pounds and maintain your dream weight, or
help you maintain healthy sugar and/or cholesterol levels. Grilling as an Alternative If you own a grill, this is a great alternative to cook
meat that's healthier without losing flavor and tenderness. Even for cold or rainy days, you can grill
burgers, pork chops or steaks on a tabletop grill to remove the fat. These allow the fat to drip into a pan, but
without drying out your meat. If you use
a healthy marinade, the excess fat will drip from the meat while the food is
cooking. Before grilling, decide on a
few heart-healthy vegetables to include, and be sure to trim the fat from the
meat. Roast or Bake Your Way to Better Health Roasting and baking are similar, except roasting uses a
much higher temperature. Both options
can create healthy meat entrees if you're careful about the type of liquid or
sauce used. Apply a light coat of canola
or olive oil to the meat before roasting or baking. Then baste with fat-free liquids such as
lemon or pineapple juice. Use a rack in
the pan or roast directly on the oven rungs so the fat can drip away from the
meat. If cooking vegetables, place them
in a separate pan so they won't soak up the fat that has dripped from the meat. Stir-Fry with Vegetables Though it contains the word "fry" stir-frying
is a great way to prepare meat with a healthy sauce and a number of vegetables.
You can stir-fry in just a small amount of oil (olive oil or canola
recommended), thus reducing the amount of fat used in frying. Vegetables in stir-fry are cooked for only a
short period of time, so the nutrients, texture and flavor are retained. To reduce oxidizing of the oil from high heat, which
releases unhealthy free radicals, add a little water to the pan first. Then add oil and seasoning. Meat should be cooked first then removed
before stir-frying the vegetables for the best results. Then you can add the
meat back in when the vegetables are almost finished. *Hint: Use
healthy seasonings and diet sauces (with less fat, sugar, etc.) to stir-fry for
a guilt-free meal. Beware of Deep Frying Meats...or any Type of Food! Deep frying is a dangerous way to eat because many deep
fried foods contain trans-fats and saturated fats. Both of these contribute to heart disease and
diabetes. Oil that is heated to a very
high temperature or that is used over and over forms acrylamide, which is a
toxic compound. Unfortunately, deep
frying is a way of life for many people because fried foods taste so good. Even Thanksgiving turkeys are being deep
fried these days instead of being baked or roasted. It just seems to be an easier way to
cook. But deep frying can drastically
increase the number of calories and grams of fat in a serving of meat. So minimize deep frying as much as
possible. Use only canola or vegetable
oils, and avoid using the same oil over again. Healthy Beef, Pork or Poultry Marinade ·
1/4 to 1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce ·
1 tsp. ginger ·
1-2 garlic cloves, minced ·
1 tbsp. honey, brown sugar or molasses ·
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime ·
Pepper to taste Marinates a 24 oz. steak, six 4-oz
pork chops or six average sized chicken breasts. Healthy Roast Chuck Recipe ·
3.5 to 4 lb. beef chuck roast ·
2 tbsp. Kosher salt ·
1 tbsp. paprika ·
2 tbsp. cracked black pepper ·
1 tsp. garlic powder ·
1 tsp. onion powder ·
1 head garlic, peeled In a small bowl, combine dry spices until well mixed. Using a sharp knife, cut tiny X slits into the roast,
evenly spaced. Peel garlic and slice each of the larger cloves in half
lengthwise. Insert 1/2 clove garlic into
each slit created. (Smaller garlic cloves may be used whole.) Rub the spices generously into the chuck on all sides. Preheat oven to 500°F. Place the roast on a roasting rack which allows for air
circulation beneath. When oven temperature reaches 500°F, place roast on center
rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300°F and continue
to roast to desired doneness, checking with a meat thermometer. 120°F rare 126°F medium rare 135°F medium 150°F medium well 160°F well-done Keep in mind that the roast continues to cook
internally for at least 10 minutes after removing from oven. When the roast is
taken out of oven, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 20 minutes before carving. Copyright
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