Preparation Tips to Keep Lean Beef Lean

1. Trim and discard visible fat.
2. Allow 4 oz (120 g) raw meat per person. This will provide a 3 oz (90 g) cooked portion (approximately the size of a deck of cards).
3. Omit oil from marinades. It will not affect the flavor or tenderness of the meat.
4. Use smaller quantities of higher fat ingredients such as regular salad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, margarine and sour cream and/or substitute lower fat versions such as "light" or partly skimmed dairy products and salad dressings.
5. Use low fat cooking techniques:
• Broil, bake, barbecue, roast or microwave on a rack, stir-fry/fry/brown in a non-stick pan or use cooking oil spray.
• Brown meatballs and beef for stews and casseroles on a rack in the oven.
• Brown ground beef in a pan or microwave in a plastic sieve and drain off fat before adding other ingredients.
6. Avoid high fat cooking techniques such as pan frying and deep frying which use cooking fats, oils, margarine or butter.
7. Remove and discard fat that cooks out of meat:
• Skim off fat that accumulates in the pan.
• Refrigerate stews, soups, chilis and meat sauces and remove hardened fat that rises to the surface.
• A quick way to remove fat is to drop ice cubes into the cooled liquid. The fat hardens around the ice and can easily be removed.
  
8. 8.Reduce fats added at the table, including margarine, butter, salad dressings, sour cream, sauces and gravies. Serve "au jus", being sure to skim off fat first.
9. 9.To control portions, instead of serving one steak per person, slice the cooked steak thinly on the diagonal, and fan slices on the plates to make several servings.