by Charles Ray

Created on: May 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Cutting down on the fat in your diet is always a healthy idea. The problem with this when it comes to meat is that without fat, some meats are tough and lack the taste of meat marbled with fat. All is not lost, however, as it is possible to add life and taste to your healthy lean meat meals.

Marinate

If you've ever had the Korean dish, bulgogi, or barbecued beef, you've had a sample of how tasty lean meat can be that has been marinated. The Korean beef is marinated in soy sauce before cooking, giving it a melt in the mouth flavor. The salt content in soy sauce, however, might pose other health concerns, so here are a few other marinades you can substitute: Brandy or vodka helps to break down the lean fibers and infuses a nice taste in the meat; fruit juices, like pineapple, add a nice sweet flavor to ham; beer is great for chicken and seafood. Try this breaded pork chop marinated in vodka for your next cookout and you'll get raves:

Trim the fat from the pork chops and marinate them for four to six hours in vodka. Prepare seasoned flour by mixing flour with salt, black or red pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Mix two eggs with a half-cup of vodka and dip the pork chops in it then coat them with the seasoned flour mixture. Cook them on a lightly oiled grill until they are nice and golden brown.

Spices

Another hallmark of Asian cuisine is the presence of a variety of spices in most dishes. In Thailand, coriander and lemon grass add a nice touch to most meals, while in Korea, garlic and red pepper spice up the table. A huge chunk of lean meat, garnished with nothing but salt and pepper, can leave your dinner guests cold, but cut that same piece of meat into slices and present it properly spiced, and dinner becomes a festive occasion. Here's a recipe for garlic steak that is tasty without the fat:

Trim the fat from a cut of beef, T-bone or flank steak, and marinate it for four to six hours (see above). Place it in a roast pan along with six or eight cloves of fresh garlic, five chopped fresh green onions, salt and pepper to taste, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and diced potatoes, and bake it at 350 degrees until golden brown. Drain off any excess grease before serving.

There you have it, it is as easy as 1 - 2, marinate and spice. The Asians have been doing it for centuries, creating lean meat dishes that have little fat and a whole lot of flavor. You are limited only by your imagination, so trim that fat and dig out those spices and let's get cooking!

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