The Leanest Meat Choices For Roast Beef

Beef tenderloin meets the government requirement of containing less than 10 percent fat per serving. It is, however, the least lean roast on the steer. Most beef roasts contain less saturated fat per 3 oz. serving than the flavorful tenderloin. The leanest roasts, however, are not always the tastiest or the easiest to cook.

Round Roasts

Only one part of the steer meets the criteria set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for extra lean. To do this, the beef must contain less than 2 g of saturated fat and less than 5 g total fat per 100 g of meat. The only roasts that meet these criteria are the roasts taken from the round; the top round, eye round and bottom round. All are relatively inexpensive, but only the top round is flavorful. Sliced very thinly, this popular roast makes good sandwiches. Sliced too thick, it becomes tough and chewy.

Brisket

Other beef roasts all qualify as lean. The flat half, or first cut, of the brisket, taken from the area beneath the ribs of the steer, contains 1.9 g of saturated fat, and 5.1 g total grams of fat per 100 g of beef. The brisket may be most familiar as the cut used for corned beef on St. Patrick's Da,y but it also makes a rich, chewy weekend pot roast. Braised properly, it makes very tasty dish.

Tip Roasts

Tip roasts are not from one part of the animal; they are the narrow ends of other muscles that are removed because they will cook faster than the rest of the roast. The round tip is the leanest -- 1.9 g of saturated fat and 5.1 g total fat per 100 g of roast. The sirloin tip roast, taken from the end of the sirloin, has 2.1 g saturated fat out of 5.8 g total fat per 100 g of beef; it is often cut into "sirloin tips" for stews.

Chuck Roasts

Chuck roasts come from the front shoulder of the steer and, as the brisket does, serve as pot roasts -- one-pot meals with vegetables, which make their own gravy. Chuck roasts include chuck shoulder, top chuck and center-cut pot roasts, all with fewer than 2 g of saturated fat and less than 6 g total fat per 100 g of roast. The top and center cuts are flavorful when braised at low temperatures between 225 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit, a gentle cooking method for roasts that lack marbled fat or coatings of fat.