5 Lean Cuts of Beef to Grill Now

Tri Tip

You can still grill beef, and watch your diet. There are many different options when it comes to lean beef cuts. What is considered lean beef? A cut of beef that contains less than 10 grams of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat. All the cuts of beef below contain less than 9 grams of total fat. When you compare each of them to a skinless chicken thigh, which has 9.2 grams of total fat, the 10 cuts below just opened up a whole new world of healthy beef grilling and eating.

Flank Steak

An all-around favorite, flank steak is easily transformed to whatever ethnic menu you are planning -simply on the marinade. Try ginger, soy sauce and a little honey for Asian-style; lime, jalapeno and corn oil for Mexican fajitas; and red wine vinegar, olive oil and fresh herbs for Italian-style. Flank steak contains 2.6 grams of saturated fat and 6.3 grams of total fat per 3-ounce serving.

Beef Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin is arguably one of the most versatile cuts due to its mouth-watering tenderness without a whole lot of prep.  Beef tenderloin is often grilled whole, and simply rubbed with a dried herb and spice crust. There is no connective tissue you’ll need to worry about, and the optimum cooking stage is no more than medium. Cooking it for longer, such as medium-well, tends to dry out this cut of meat. Beef tenderloin contains 2.7 grams of saturated fat and 7.1 grams of total fat per 3-ounce serving.

Skirt Steak

The skirt steak is often confused with the flank steak with its similar look, but put them side by side and you’ll easily see the difference. Skirt steak is less ‘compact’ than a flank steak, making it perfect in absorbing as much marinade as you can give it. If skirt steak is unavailable, you can substitute flap meat in any recipe calling for skirt steak. And you don’t have to worry about overcooking it; it is a most tender cut no matter if it’s well done or medium. Skirt steak has 3 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving.

Tri Tip Roast

Tri-tip roasts are at their best when little fuss is involved. A traditional cut of beef in the Santa Maria Style BBQ, this cut is delicious simply rubbed with salt or garlic salt and pepper. Cook until medium, and cut across the grain, the tri-tip roast will convert any steak lover into a roast lover. A 3-ounce portion of tri-tip contains 2.6 grams of saturated fat.

T-Bone Steak

No one can forget the T-Bone. It is named for the t-shape of the bone. Porterhouse steaks and T-Bone steaks resemble each other but there is less of the tenderloin attached to the T-Bone, making it less expensive than the porterhouse. When choosing T-Bones, look for a thick cut which will give you the dark crust you want even while you strive to keep the center at medium rare. T-Bone steaks are at the high end of the fat scale for the lean beef selections, but at 8.2 grams of total fat, it is still less than your everyday skinless chicken thigh.