Post by BBQ Butcher on Mar 30, 2008 7:03:33 GMT -5
01/05/08
The BBQ Butcher #22
I trust that every one had a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year Holiday? I know I did, along with my bank account shrinking and my waist size gaining, which more or less brings me to this week’s theme. No, I’m not going to ask for money.
During the past couple of weeks I had a few occasions to just sit in a public place and wait for services to be rendered, someone to finish shopping, etc, which I don’t really mind, as I’m a ‘people watcher’ by habit and I find that it passes the time better than listening to an ear phone with music.
So, what did I observe, other than the hustle bustle of the last minute shoppers at the mall, the harried looks of the car service manager while he was dealing with four customers at a time or the impatience of people trying to place an order for a decent hamburger at a fast food joint? I noticed that the human race, especially the American variety, has a severe weight problem!! At least four out of every five people I saw had a few extra pounds they don’t need, myself included. *
That’s neither new news or is it rocket science, as the media and the medical field has been warning us for years about the obesity in our ranks. I never paid any attention as it didn’t affect me at all. Well, I didn’t think it did any way! I’ve put on a few extra pounds over the past few years…..Okay Okay, maybe forty some ‘extra’ pounds. Alright, close to fifty!
Don’t stop reading now, I promise I am not going to tell you to go on the four letter “D” word. In fact, the word “DIET” is not even in my dictionary! There are literally dozens of diets out there to be tried, if that is of your choosing and I’m not going to recommend a one of them. However, with my experience in the food business and knowledge of meat and poultry, I can show you how to choose your meats wisely, eat a healthier meal and that may possibly lead to some weight loss and a more enjoyable lifestyle.
All it is going to entail is thinking “LEAN” while shopping at the supermarket and preparing your meals. It’s the same food you’ve been eating for years, however it just may look a little different. Here are the basic groups I’ll cover……chicken or turkey breast meat, fish (including shellfish) and certain cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb.
Before I get into the various lean meats, I’d like to tell you to buy the meat in its natural and fresh state. Please stay away from ‘enhanced meat’ that is getting popular at the supermarket today. I will detail this subject in a future column, but in a nutshell, “enhanced” meat has been injected with a solution of water, salt, phosphates, antioxidants, ‘natural’ flavorings and other ingredients, depending on the manufacturer. Sometimes theses solutions can be up to 18% of the weight of the meat! Why? Thanks to the government, suppliers can now inject meat to extend shelf life, add weight (water), makes meat tender and tasty (a matter of opinion), better color, moisture retention and a host of other excuses that really doesn’t help the consumer. Poultry and pork are the main recipients of these ‘solutions’ and to an extent, some grocery chains carry enhanced beef as well. It will be on the label (usually small print on the bottom) if the meat you are looking at is enhanced. Other words and phrases that may be used instead of “enhanced” are “basted”, “injected”, “marinated”, “always tender”, “moist and juicy”, “guaranteed tender”, “extra tender” and other words along the same lines. This includes the “pre-marinated” flavored and ready to cook cuts of meat. You do not need all the sodium and cholesterol contained in these products.
Okay, time to get off the soap box and get to the meat of the subject (pun intended)……
Chicken cuts you should be buying are white meat chicken breast, skin off preferably. Wings, Thighs and Drumsticks contain more fat than we really need, so pass them over and buy Boneless Chicken Breasts (most times “skinless”), bone in Chicken Breasts, Chicken Strips or Tenderloins and Chicken Cutlets. Ground Chicken is fine, but make sure you purchase the Ground White Breast Meat and not just plain Ground Chicken, as this contains dark meat and skin. I suggest grilling or broiling these cuts, as what little fat there is just drips away. You can cook it with the skin on or off, but make sure the skin is gone before it hits your plate. If you insist on pan frying, then use a limited amount of Olive Oil, Canola Oil or Grape Seed Oil. Try to eat poultry two to three times a week.
Thanks to the wonders of modern farming and marketing by poultry farmers, fresh turkey is available 365 days a year in your grocer’s fresh meat case! You will find mostly the same cuts as the chicken and please follow the same cooking methods.
Next on our list of “lean cuts” is fresh fish. Frozen, non-seasoned fillets are okay. With improved packing and shipping, fresh fish is more available today than it ever was. Most of the fish in the case is good for you. Not particularly ‘lean’, but Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel and Trout are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which is great for your heart and should be eaten a couple times a week.
Although not high in the Omega-3, these lean fish are also good for you. Bass, Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Grouper (the real thing, not fake), Haddock, Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin, the fish, not Flipper), Orange Roughy, Pollock, various Snappers, Sole and Tilapia. For a variety, toss in some Shrimp, Lobster, and Crab (even the fake stuff, Surimi). Try eating these at least once a week. I suggest grilling, broiling or poaching without the addition of bread crumbs.
Next comes the ‘good stuff’ that you were wondering if I was even going to cover, namely pork and beef.
Pork is grown and raised differently today than it was in your younger years. It’s specially fed to inhibit fat and increase the amount of lean. Buy lean cuts of Center Cut Loin, boneless or bone-in, Sirloin Chops or Roasts, Pork Tenderloin and on occasion, if you can find them, Fresh Pork Steaks from the Leg (not the Shoulder). Over cooking is not necessary; it only makes the meat tough and dry. The National Pork Council has determined that all harmful bacteria in pork is killed off at an internal meat temperature of 137°. I don’t recommend that low of a temperature, but 150° will keep the meat juicy and tender. Again, grilling or broiling is the way to cook these tasty cuts and I’d try to limit it to once or twice a week.
Beef consumption has taken a hit the past few years for various reasons, some of which are E.coli and Mad Cow scares, price and the ranting and ravings of health food nuts that claim beef is not good for you. I say “Baloney” and the following cuts are almost as lean as Chicken Breast. Buy or ask for Eye Round Roasts or Steaks, Sirloin TIP Steaks or Roasts, Top Round (London Broil) Steak or Roasts, Bottom Round Steak or Roasts, Flank Steak and TOP Sirloin Steak. For Ground Meat, stick with the 95% lean Ground Sirloin, or in some stores it’s called “Extra Lean Ground Beef”. The burger, TOP Sirloin Steak, London Broil and Flank Steak can be grilled or broiled. The rest need to be marinated in a non-fat marinade before cooking. This helps to tenderize and help keep the meat juicy. Like the pork, try and limit beef to once a week and remove the fat before eating.
Lamb and Veal will end the “lean cuts” of meat. Both are fairly lean if you buy cuts from the Loin, Round or Leg. They are also tender and can be grilled or broiled. You can eat these in place of the beef or pork.
So what is my amazing secret to lose weight?** It’s not a secret, it’s been right there in front of you the whole time! Start your day out with a breakfast of an egg substitute (½ cup), or a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit and a couple slices of whole wheat toast with a reduced fat margarine. For lunch, eat something simple like a salad or some lettuce rollups with 97% Fat Free (or less) lunchmeat. For dinner, a 4-5 ounce portion (about the size of a deck of cards) of the “lean cuts” that I outlined above, with a healthy portion of fresh steamed vegetables. For in between snacks, I suggest all the fresh finger veggies and fruit that your body can stand, along with a good 6-8 glasses of water a day. Limit your starches (potatoes, breads and pastas), alcohol consumption and throw in about 10-20 minutes of exercise a day*** and you might see some weight loss. And for heavens sake, stay away from the ‘fast food joints’!!
*Disclaimer #1: I am not a statistician, a pollster or a person making up a survey, I came to my conclusion of the ‘overweight problem’ just by observation of my fellow human beings in their natural habitat.
**Disclaimer #2: Nor am I a scientist, a dietician or any entity in the medical field. My so called “secret” is just my common sense way and opinion of how to lose weight without the expense and dangers of going on fad diets or following a strict regime that you might not follow through to the end.
***Disclaimer #3: DO check with your family doctor before starting any exercise program.
The BBQ Butcher #22
I trust that every one had a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year Holiday? I know I did, along with my bank account shrinking and my waist size gaining, which more or less brings me to this week’s theme. No, I’m not going to ask for money.
During the past couple of weeks I had a few occasions to just sit in a public place and wait for services to be rendered, someone to finish shopping, etc, which I don’t really mind, as I’m a ‘people watcher’ by habit and I find that it passes the time better than listening to an ear phone with music.
So, what did I observe, other than the hustle bustle of the last minute shoppers at the mall, the harried looks of the car service manager while he was dealing with four customers at a time or the impatience of people trying to place an order for a decent hamburger at a fast food joint? I noticed that the human race, especially the American variety, has a severe weight problem!! At least four out of every five people I saw had a few extra pounds they don’t need, myself included. *
That’s neither new news or is it rocket science, as the media and the medical field has been warning us for years about the obesity in our ranks. I never paid any attention as it didn’t affect me at all. Well, I didn’t think it did any way! I’ve put on a few extra pounds over the past few years…..Okay Okay, maybe forty some ‘extra’ pounds. Alright, close to fifty!
Don’t stop reading now, I promise I am not going to tell you to go on the four letter “D” word. In fact, the word “DIET” is not even in my dictionary! There are literally dozens of diets out there to be tried, if that is of your choosing and I’m not going to recommend a one of them. However, with my experience in the food business and knowledge of meat and poultry, I can show you how to choose your meats wisely, eat a healthier meal and that may possibly lead to some weight loss and a more enjoyable lifestyle.
All it is going to entail is thinking “LEAN” while shopping at the supermarket and preparing your meals. It’s the same food you’ve been eating for years, however it just may look a little different. Here are the basic groups I’ll cover……chicken or turkey breast meat, fish (including shellfish) and certain cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb.
Before I get into the various lean meats, I’d like to tell you to buy the meat in its natural and fresh state. Please stay away from ‘enhanced meat’ that is getting popular at the supermarket today. I will detail this subject in a future column, but in a nutshell, “enhanced” meat has been injected with a solution of water, salt, phosphates, antioxidants, ‘natural’ flavorings and other ingredients, depending on the manufacturer. Sometimes theses solutions can be up to 18% of the weight of the meat! Why? Thanks to the government, suppliers can now inject meat to extend shelf life, add weight (water), makes meat tender and tasty (a matter of opinion), better color, moisture retention and a host of other excuses that really doesn’t help the consumer. Poultry and pork are the main recipients of these ‘solutions’ and to an extent, some grocery chains carry enhanced beef as well. It will be on the label (usually small print on the bottom) if the meat you are looking at is enhanced. Other words and phrases that may be used instead of “enhanced” are “basted”, “injected”, “marinated”, “always tender”, “moist and juicy”, “guaranteed tender”, “extra tender” and other words along the same lines. This includes the “pre-marinated” flavored and ready to cook cuts of meat. You do not need all the sodium and cholesterol contained in these products.
Okay, time to get off the soap box and get to the meat of the subject (pun intended)……
Chicken cuts you should be buying are white meat chicken breast, skin off preferably. Wings, Thighs and Drumsticks contain more fat than we really need, so pass them over and buy Boneless Chicken Breasts (most times “skinless”), bone in Chicken Breasts, Chicken Strips or Tenderloins and Chicken Cutlets. Ground Chicken is fine, but make sure you purchase the Ground White Breast Meat and not just plain Ground Chicken, as this contains dark meat and skin. I suggest grilling or broiling these cuts, as what little fat there is just drips away. You can cook it with the skin on or off, but make sure the skin is gone before it hits your plate. If you insist on pan frying, then use a limited amount of Olive Oil, Canola Oil or Grape Seed Oil. Try to eat poultry two to three times a week.
Thanks to the wonders of modern farming and marketing by poultry farmers, fresh turkey is available 365 days a year in your grocer’s fresh meat case! You will find mostly the same cuts as the chicken and please follow the same cooking methods.
Next on our list of “lean cuts” is fresh fish. Frozen, non-seasoned fillets are okay. With improved packing and shipping, fresh fish is more available today than it ever was. Most of the fish in the case is good for you. Not particularly ‘lean’, but Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel and Trout are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which is great for your heart and should be eaten a couple times a week.
Although not high in the Omega-3, these lean fish are also good for you. Bass, Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Grouper (the real thing, not fake), Haddock, Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin, the fish, not Flipper), Orange Roughy, Pollock, various Snappers, Sole and Tilapia. For a variety, toss in some Shrimp, Lobster, and Crab (even the fake stuff, Surimi). Try eating these at least once a week. I suggest grilling, broiling or poaching without the addition of bread crumbs.
Next comes the ‘good stuff’ that you were wondering if I was even going to cover, namely pork and beef.
Pork is grown and raised differently today than it was in your younger years. It’s specially fed to inhibit fat and increase the amount of lean. Buy lean cuts of Center Cut Loin, boneless or bone-in, Sirloin Chops or Roasts, Pork Tenderloin and on occasion, if you can find them, Fresh Pork Steaks from the Leg (not the Shoulder). Over cooking is not necessary; it only makes the meat tough and dry. The National Pork Council has determined that all harmful bacteria in pork is killed off at an internal meat temperature of 137°. I don’t recommend that low of a temperature, but 150° will keep the meat juicy and tender. Again, grilling or broiling is the way to cook these tasty cuts and I’d try to limit it to once or twice a week.
Beef consumption has taken a hit the past few years for various reasons, some of which are E.coli and Mad Cow scares, price and the ranting and ravings of health food nuts that claim beef is not good for you. I say “Baloney” and the following cuts are almost as lean as Chicken Breast. Buy or ask for Eye Round Roasts or Steaks, Sirloin TIP Steaks or Roasts, Top Round (London Broil) Steak or Roasts, Bottom Round Steak or Roasts, Flank Steak and TOP Sirloin Steak. For Ground Meat, stick with the 95% lean Ground Sirloin, or in some stores it’s called “Extra Lean Ground Beef”. The burger, TOP Sirloin Steak, London Broil and Flank Steak can be grilled or broiled. The rest need to be marinated in a non-fat marinade before cooking. This helps to tenderize and help keep the meat juicy. Like the pork, try and limit beef to once a week and remove the fat before eating.
Lamb and Veal will end the “lean cuts” of meat. Both are fairly lean if you buy cuts from the Loin, Round or Leg. They are also tender and can be grilled or broiled. You can eat these in place of the beef or pork.
So what is my amazing secret to lose weight?** It’s not a secret, it’s been right there in front of you the whole time! Start your day out with a breakfast of an egg substitute (½ cup), or a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit and a couple slices of whole wheat toast with a reduced fat margarine. For lunch, eat something simple like a salad or some lettuce rollups with 97% Fat Free (or less) lunchmeat. For dinner, a 4-5 ounce portion (about the size of a deck of cards) of the “lean cuts” that I outlined above, with a healthy portion of fresh steamed vegetables. For in between snacks, I suggest all the fresh finger veggies and fruit that your body can stand, along with a good 6-8 glasses of water a day. Limit your starches (potatoes, breads and pastas), alcohol consumption and throw in about 10-20 minutes of exercise a day*** and you might see some weight loss. And for heavens sake, stay away from the ‘fast food joints’!!
*Disclaimer #1: I am not a statistician, a pollster or a person making up a survey, I came to my conclusion of the ‘overweight problem’ just by observation of my fellow human beings in their natural habitat.
**Disclaimer #2: Nor am I a scientist, a dietician or any entity in the medical field. My so called “secret” is just my common sense way and opinion of how to lose weight without the expense and dangers of going on fad diets or following a strict regime that you might not follow through to the end.
***Disclaimer #3: DO check with your family doctor before starting any exercise program.