von Zoe Strimpel
On its own, lean meat is no longer frowned upon. The link between eating red meat and high cholesterol has been dismissed and the focus has shifted to the essential fats and vitamins red meat contains.
Red meat is the darling of the gastronomic world once more… Butchers are experiencing a renaissance and organic British beef farms have attained boutique status. According to the food professionals, red meat’s comeback has, ironically, much to do with the BSE crisis of the mid-1990s. Theo Randall, head chef at the River Café, says: “The BSE crisis had a lot to do with bad farming practices and feeding animals horrific steroids. Things had to shape up.”
But from a health point of view how far should we be indulging our appetites for dripping sides of beef and whole suckling pigs? This depends, of course, on just how dripping the meat is. Cooking it in butter or oil and adding sauce will increase fat levels drastically. When it comes to saturated fat, processed meat, such as sausages and the stuff of pork pies, are the worst offenders.
On its own, lean meat is no longer frowned upon. The link between eating red meat and high cholesterol has been dismissed and the focus has shifted to the generous amounts of protein, zinc, iron, selenium, essential fats and vitamins red meat contains.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says that up to 90g per day is fine, even beneficial. Frankie Phillips, a dietician at the BDA, is encouraged by the increase in awareness of the value of red meat, pointing out that certain segments of the population, such as teenage girls, eat too little iron and zinc.
Of the three official red meats, pork is the leanest and lamb the fattiest. Beef, however, is the most nutritious. It is the richest in iron and has the most zinc per 100g. Iron is essential to the generation of red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and export carbon dioxide back to the lungs, and zinc is essential for a healthy immune system. In 1998, a report from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy stated that “individuals’ consumption of red and processed meat should not increase and that higher consumers should consider a reduction”. In part, this caution hints at the risks associated with eating too much iron which can cause heart disease.
But as long as you choose your meat carefully, this new-found love is no bad thing. As Collins says: “Vegetarianism is all very well. But we have incisors. Biologically, we like meat.”