Where’s the Beef?

Just the other day, I was training Mary, a petite perky blonde knock-out, who asked me what I was going to write about in my article. Well, I really wasn’t sure at that point. I didn’t have a beef about anything, but it dawned on me—that’s it—BEEF!

A new client just this week declared that he was afraid to eat beef because he’d heard it was bad for you. What are you afraid of? Beef is actually very good for you. Beef is an excellent source of protein, loaded with essential nutrients, including iron. Beef has a very high creatine level, in fact, the highest level for promoting growth. It also contains carnitine, which is essential and beneficial to anyone who bodybuilds, because it helps enhance fat metabolism.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a powerful fatty acid in beef that has an ability to create an environment in which more fat is burned and more lean mass is added.

And when people say they want a steak, do they really know what type of steak they’re talking about? There are many varieties of steak, based on its cut location and tenderness. Ok, here’s a lesson on "steakology" (yeah, I made that up.)

Chuck steak comes from the hardworking shoulder and neck area. It’s cheap meat, good for cutting up for stroganoff or fajitas. Rib steaks are to the rear of the chuck area. You’ll find Delmonico steaks here. These are best grilled and are much more tender than chuck steaks.

The flank steak should be cut across the grain to avoid toughness. It’s lean and very flavorful. Many know this steak as the London Broil. Round steaks come from the rump area. They are very lean but can be tough if overcooked, almost like eating shoe leather. The loin or sirloin is the section of muscle that doesn’t do a lot of work, therefore, it is very tender. The tenderloin yields steaks like the filet mignon, T-bone, and porterhouse. These are the steaks that are prized for their tenderness and tastiness.

The filet mignon is lower in fat than the T-bone or porterhouse, and that is reflected in the price at the supermarket meat counter. Most people think the filet is the best steak that money can buy. My personal favorite is the sirloin, though. It has very little fat, and is very tender if cooked to medium. It is a treat for the tastebuds.

Let’s not forget that from steak we get hamburger, because people don’t realize that it truly is ground up steak or parts thereof. The quality of hamburger again depends on the fat content and tastiness. Of course, chuck ground up will have more fat content than ground round, and sirloin will no doubt have the least amount of fat.

A word of caution, though. Even though ground sirloin may be the lowest in fat content, when cooked it tends to be a little dry tasting, so the fat content does make a difference in taste. But ground beef does in many instances cost a lot less than many high-cost steaks.

Do you want to hear something pretty outrageous? One of the fitness magazines says to put your ground beef into a strainer and wash off all the fat. Yuck! Soggy Beef! Why not try sopping up the grease with paper towels after you’re done cooking? At least the flavor will still be there.

Another truly wholesome food that people are afraid of eating is the incredible edible egg.

Way too high in cholesterol everyone says—wrong! Your high cholesterol was not caused by eating eggs. It was probably caused by a poor diet or by inheriting it from your parents. The egg has had a bum rap through the years. It’s low in calories. One large egg has about 70 calories and is extremely high in protein. It’s one of nature’s perfect foods. I eat four eggs every morning, seven days a week. My cholesterol is a low 120. So give eggs a try again.

Another food that people avoid? How about liver. Just the word sends chills down some people’s spines. Actually, it’s a great source of iron and nutrients. Some people have to acquire a taste for it. Paté is really goose liver, and everyone loves that! It’s a very misunderstood organ meat that people avoid but on its own is very nutritious. (OK, everybody can say "Yuck.")

Want another misunderstood, maligned food? Peanut butter. We adults are terrified of the stuff. We will feed it to our own kids, but not to ourselves. It’s got too much fat. Yes, it does, but it’s the good fat that actually doesn’t harm your cholesterol. With a glass of skim milk, peanut butter makes a highly nutritious meal.

How about skim milk? Nearly everyone tells me that they drink 2% milk. They say that skim milk tastes and looks like chalky water. Not true! Skim milk has all the milk fat removed, and hence the chalky look. Other milk has a thicker appearance because it has a higher fat content. Check out the label.

Let’s finish with a veggie that took a beating when the elder George Bush was in office, and everyone still makes a fuss over—broccoli. One of the most nutritious vegetables on earth was slandered and sales dropped when the former president remarked about his dislike for broccoli. Too bad, it’s a great side dish with steak, eggs, even liver.

Just make sure you have a glass of skim milk to wash it down. See you at the beach!