What's The Story With Beef?
We’ve been told for quite some time that eating red meat too often isn’t good for us—many studies have linked it to an increased risk for heart disease. But the problem with the studies is that they were primarily observational, based on participants’ responses to questions about their beef consumption (and the questions are usually based on recall. Do you remember what you had last Wednesday for dinner?). So, we don’t really know whether it was the meat, or the fries or the cheese, or the sodium that contributed to the outcomes. But because we don’t know, we err on the side of caution.
So how much is too much? That’s another problem—there’s no consensus. The experts at the Cleveland Clinic say, “Try to limit your red meat consumption to 1 to 2 serving per week, which is 6 ounces or less per week. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, the recommendation is to limit red meat to less than or equal to 3 ounces per week.” Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say, “No more than 3 ounces a day, or less than 21 ounces a week.” The American Heart Association advises limiting lean meat to 6 ounces a day, and also says a serving of meat is 3 ounces (that's very small!). And the American Institute for Cancer Research states that you shouldn't eat more than 18 ounces of red meat per week. CONFUSING!
The way I interpret all this is to limit red meat as much as possible (and by the way, red m eat refers to beef, veal, lamb, venison and goat—but we stick to beef in my house), keep serving sizes at 5-6 ounces (restaurants tend to serve twice that amount), and to buy grass-fed beef whenever I can. We usually have skirt steak or burgers once a week; if I can’t find grass-fed in the store, I just don’t buy it.
WHAT IS GRASS-FED BEEF?
Exactly what it sounds like: Grass-fed beef generally comes from cattle that eat only grass and other foraged foods throughout their lives. Beef that isn’t labeled grass-fed comes from cows that are conventionally raised on a get-fat-quick diet of grains—usually corn and soy. The difference in the diets of the cattle changes the nutrients and fats in the meat. Grass-fed beef tends to have less total fat, twice as much conjugated linoleic acid (a type of fat that's thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks), more antioxidant vitamins including A and E, and more heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids—up to five times as much as conventionally-raised beef.
BEEF HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS
Beef is loaded with vitamin B12, B3, and B6. It’s also rich in iron, selenium and zinc. In fact, meat contains almost every nutrient that you need to survive. It also contains high-quality protein and various lesser-known nutrients, such as creatine and carnosine, which are important for your muscles and brain.
YOU SHOULD CARE WHERE YOUR BEEF COMES FROM
Most of the cattle in this country are raised on feedlots, and they are gross. The cows are packed in tight, with just enough room to eat. Disease is rampant because the conditions are filthy (they stand all day in their own poop). To keep them from getting sick, farmers pump the cows full of broad-spectrum antibiotics so that they stay alive long enough to grow to full size. (Around 80% of antibiotics produced in the United States gets fed to farm animals!)
What happens when you use the same antibiotics over and over? Pathogens become resistant to that particular antibiotic. Because the animals eliminate a large portion of the antibiotics unchanged through waste, fully active antibiotics make their way back into soil and water systems. This contributes to antibiotic-resistant diseases not just in cows, but in humans. When you eat conventionally-raised beef, you’re not only consuming the cow’s antibiotics, you’re also eating what the cow ate—corn and soy that was sprayed with chemicals including pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.
You can find grass-fed beef in many grocery stores and farmers' markets. A good online source is Butcher Box, a Boston-based company that also sells free-range organic chicken, humanely raised pork and wild-caught seafood.
Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde
Adapted from The New York Times
1½ lbs. grass-fed skirt steak
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 TBSP capers, drained and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 TBSP chopped fresh mint
1. Cut steak into 4 equal pieces and place in a shallow baking dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar, scallions, capers and garlic and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 cup dressing over steak, coating both sides. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.
2. Add parsley and mint to reserved dressing and set aside.
3. Prepare grill. Pat steaks dry with paper towel and grill 3-5 minutes a side for medium-rare. Transfer to a carving board and sprinkle with sea salt; let rest ten minutes. Slice the steak, place slices on platter, and serve with reserved dressing on side.