Cooking Tips for You

Eager for beef but not sure if you can pull off a tender steak? Sometimes, even the most expensive meat cuts require tender, loving care to make the most of them. These are the tips guaranteed to put an end to your meat woes.

1. Internationally, beef is rated according to how old the animal is as well as what color and texture it is. You’ll find that the more fat (or marbling) in a beef cut, the more tender it is. Prime cuts are at the top of the beef line and are therefore more tender and flavorful–as well as the most expensive.

2. Nothing beats a quick visual. Go for meat that is bright red in color, not dull or grayish. Forget meat that has been previously frozen and thawed. (One telltale sign is excess liquid in the package.) Always pick boneless, well-trimmed cuts since they have more edible meat–although be prepared to spend more per kilo since it goes a longer way.

3. Match the cut to the method. The better quality of meat, the less you should do with it, to let its natural flavor through.

4. Sauces vs. sautéing. Tender ‘prime cuts’ are best cooked by the “dry heat” methods, which is by roasting, broiling, grilling, or sautéing. Less tender meat cuts do best cooked in sauces or by “moist heat” methods such as stews.

5. For tough cuts of meat, nothing beats longer cooking time at low heat, since this helps soften the sinew in muscular cuts of meat. (If you do, separate the vegetables in the pot to avoid overcooking them.)

All About Eggs

Based on the research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition:

• The high-quality protein nutrient found in eggs may improve memory retention in developing fetuses and vision health in adults.

• The antioxidants lutein and zeax-anthin present in eggs, which can reduce the risk of cataracts by up to 20 percent and age-related macular degeneration by up to 40 percent, are better absorbed by the body from eggs than from any other foods.

• The American Heart Association advises eating no more than 300 mg of cholesterol daily. This is the amount found in one egg.

Cooking Eggs

Do you want to eat the fluffiest scrambled egg? Well, the next time you cook… add 1 heaping teaspoon of cottage cheese for every 2 eggs before scrambling.

Another marvelous way of frying egg is to rub on a nonstick frying pan with a piece of spicy lunch meat like hard salami instead of using a reduced-calorie cooking spray. Result: a spicy flavor of fried egg without frying egg in a lot of fat.