Beef: It's What's for Dinner Tonight

By , SparkPeople Blogger
There is room for red meat in a healthy lifestyle. The key is choosing lean cuts, sensible portions and healthful cooking methods.

Serve this flank steak with steamed green beans and some whole-grain bread warmed on the grill. The heat of the meat warms the accompanying fragrant and herb-infused sauce. Use the bread to sop up every last drop of juice.

Flank steak is a lean, affordable and flavorful cut of beef, but it's often tough. We marinated our flank steak and cut it against the grain to keep it as tender as it is tasty!

With a slice of whole-grain bread, a cup of green beans and a cup of skim milk, this meal has 420 calories and 15 g fat. Add 98 calories if you're using Chef Meg's Garlic-Citrus Parsley Sauce. (I like to serve a teaspoon or so of the sauce over steamed vegetables.)

Chef Meg's Grilled Garlic Citrus Flank Steak

Ingredients:
Marinade:
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper, cracked
1 t oregano
1 c orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 lbs (24 oz) flank steak, trimmed of visible fat

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place steak in a plastic bag or glass dish and pour in marinade to cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat grill to moderate heat. Remove steak from marinade; discard any leftovers.

Grill, turning once until desired temperature is reached. For this large cut of meat, I recommend cooking to medium rare (135 degrees) and allowing the meat to rest for 5 minutes once taken off the grill to allow juices to redistribute. Once removed from the grill, the meat will continue to cook slightly, raising the temperature to medium (140 degrees).

Serving size is three ounces of beef; makes six servings.

NOTE: The nutrition info is calculated for half the marinade as the other half is discarded.

The leftovers are great on a sandwich hot or cold.

How often do you eat red meat? Which lean cuts do you prefer?