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Whether your trying to loose a bit of weight or trying to lower your cholesterol, buying lean meat has become almost an obsession for many of us. Unfortunately, less fat can mean cuts that aren't as flavorful and that are tougher than their more marbled counterparts.

However, there are a few tricks and tips that can bring out the flavor, as well as turning a tough cut in to a melt-in-your-mouth delight.

1 - Slow Cooking
Your crock pot is your best friend when cooking with inexpensive and potentially tougher cuts of meat. Sear the meat first in hot oil to brown it throughly - this will seal in the juices as well as adding a lot of flavor. Add vegetables, herbs and spices, and cook slowly on a low heat for several hours.

Suggestion: Slow-cook a cheap cut of pork or well-trimmed leftovers with barbecue sauce to make "pulled pork" for sandwiches.

2 - Pressure Cooking
Pressure cookers aren't just for canning vegetables and making jam - many cooks use their pressure cooker year-round for pot roasts, stews, and vegetables too. Modern pressure cookers are safe and easy to use - your meal can be ready in less than an hour, and because the cooking time is reduced, more essential nutrients are retained.

Suggestion: Marinade a pork roast in mushroom, soy sauce, garlic and pepper, and cook in a pressure cooker for 30 to 45 minutes.

3 - Marinades
Marinading any meat adds flavor and tenderizes too. The ingredients of your marinade are limited only by the contents of your pantry, refrigerator, and imagination. Some common marinade ingredients are salt, pepper, garlic, sugar, mustard, soy sauce, wine, yogurt and lime, lemon or orange juice. Papaya and vinegar are frequently used to tenderize, as well as adding an interesting flavor. Any herb or spice is fair game - use two or three in combination for a more complex flavor.

Suggestion: Marinade skinless chicken breasts in yogurt, garlic, cumin and lemon for an hour or two, and grill - serve with couscous and a salad.

4 - Slice, Dice and Pulverize
Cutting across the grain - cutting the longer, tougher fibers - will make even the toughest cut easier to chew. Chopping the meat finely, mincing or just cutting thinner slices will help too. Pounding is also a time-honored method of tenderizing a tough cut.

Suggestion: Sirloin has a great flavor but can be tough - slice in fine strips and stir-fry with broccoli, mushrooms, hot peppers and onions, splash with teriyaki sauce and serve over Chinese noodles.

5 - Cooking With Healthy Fat
If the meat is very lean, use olive oil as a substitute for the fat the meat would have contained, and skim any excess oil before serving. The oil will help bind the spices and herbs you use in cooking to the meat, any oil that remains will be relatively healthy and the excess can be easily removed at the end of the cooking process.

Suggestion: Brown lean hamburger in olive oil for chili - use your favorite chili recipe (be sure to include plenty of vegetables and beans), but let the mixture sit for ten minutes before serving, and skim any excess oil that rises to the top.


A final tip: When you are pondering the selections at the meat counter, ask the butcher which cut he recommends for the cooking method you're considering. Most butchers eat what they offer and take great pride in their knowledge of the meat they sell and the best way to prepare a tasty meal.

Learn more about this author, Pat Gray.
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