Ever wonder what you should be looking for in your meat? Here's a few tips to help you along:

1. Tender cuts of beef from the rib and sirloin areas contain a lot of fat and calories. Choose those from the flank, chuck or round. Buy lean cuts of meat and trim all excess fat.
2. Pork should be thoroughly cooked until no longer pink. Do not overcook or meat becomes dry. Choose lean cuts of loin chops or tenderloin.
3. Lean cuts of meat to be grilled should be left in a marinade at least 20 minutes, preferably more, in order to tenderize and flavor it.
4. When roasting or grilling, baste meat often to retain moisture. To prevent harmful bacteria from contaminating the food, never serve leftover marinade with cooked meat.
5. After sautéeing ground beef for spaghetti sauce, pour off excess fat before continuing with the recipe. If you are using fatter meat in stews, cook it the day before, refrigerate, then skim off the fat layer.
6. Tightly wrapped fresh meat can be kept refrigerated for 2 days in a cold section of the refrigerator. Meat can be frozen for up to 6 months. Do not use meat that has freezer burn or discoloration.
7. Defrost meat in the refrigerator, or wrap in plastic and place in a bowl of cold water to quicken defrosting. An even faster method is to defrost in microwave. Rotate meat every few minutes to ensure even defrosting.

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