Cholesterol content of lean and fat from beef, pork, and lamb cuts

Abstract

Fifteen carcasses—five each of beef, pork, and lamb—were selected. Longissimus and semi-membranosus muscles were removed from each side; three cuts were removed from each muscle. The steaks and chops were divided into one of three external fat treatments: (1) 0 cm external fat remaining, (2) 0.6 cm (combined lean and fat) fat remaining, and (3) 0.6 cm (separable lean and separable fat) fat remaining. Cholesterol and total lipid were analyzed for both raw and cooked samples in each external fat treatment. With the exception of longissimus lamb chops, cooking steaks or chops with or without external fat did not affect the total amount of cholesterol in the separable lean. The longissimus lamb chops, cooked with external fat, had a higher ( P < 0.05) amount of cholesterol in the separable lean than chops cooked without external fat. There was no significant migration of cholesterol from the adipose tissue into the lean tissue in the beef and pork species, but there was migration in lamb. Cholesterol migration in lamb possibly was due to the relationship between the proportion of fat and lean in the smaller lamb chops.