Useful Information for the Health-Conscious Carnivore.

Choose the rear of the steer. There are 19 cuts of beef that the government considers "lean"--less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 10 grams of total fat per three-ounce cooked serving (about the size of a deck of cards). Since most of these cuts come from the well exercised hindquarters of the animal, a simple rule is to look for anything with the word loin or round in the name. Eye-round roast (1.4 saturated/4.0 total), top-round steak (1.6/4.6), top-sirloin steak (1.9/4.9), and tenderloin steak (2.7/7.2) are all leaner than a skinless chicken thigh (2.6/9.2).

Settle for a lower grade. The three grades of beef are based on the amount of marbling (i.e., fat), which contributes to tenderness and flavor. Supermarkets generally sell select and choice; butcher shops also have prime. Within any given cut (lean or not), select has 5 to 20 percent less fat than choice and about 40 percent less than prime.

Use a low-fat cooking method. First, trim excess fat off the meat before you cook; that alone will cut the fat by about 20 percent. Then keep added fat (butter, oil, et cetera) to a minimum with dry cooking methods like broiling, grilling, and oven roasting; combination moist-heat cooking like stewing or braising; or even stir-frying. But making the meat tender without the benefit of fat takes a bit more work. Leaner roasts (like the eye of round) should be seared in a hot pan to caramelize natural juices before oven roasting, while lean steak (like flank) benefits from an acidic marinade (containing wine, soy sauce, citrus juice, or vinegar). Although a marinade can add flavor in two hours, it takes six to tenderize a fibrous cut like flank. Place the marinade (about a half cup per pound) and the meat in a large Ziploc bag, flatten out the extra air, and seal. Refrigerate, occasionally turning the bag to thoroughly saturate all sides.

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By Francine Maroukian