Which is healthier: beef or veal? What is the difference between veal and beef?

Among the inhabitants of our country beef and veal meat are the most popular. And this is no coincidence, because beef is not a scarce commodity, and you can always find a good one on the supermarket counter. Beef and veal meat is consumed boiled, fried, stewed and smoked. Used for preparing chops, cutlets, dumplings, first courses and various sausages. And in dietary dishes, mostly boiled meat is used.

The age of the animal significantly affects the quality of the meat. For cooking, it is best to choose meat from a two-year-old animal with developed muscles and a specific taste and smell. But if you want completely lean meat, then give preference to young veal.

Veal- This is the meat of a young cow or bull. It has a more refined, delicate taste. Especially useful for children and people with poor health.

The benefits of beef and veal . Beef and veal are important sources of vitamins. Beef meat is very healthy, it has little cholesterol and a lot of gelatin, which promotes blood clotting. Beef contains little fat and is ideal for preparing dietary dishes. The only drawback is that it takes a long time to cook, but at the same time the meat practically does not lose its nutritional value and the proteins that are its component are almost completely preserved in it.

Beef is rich in iron and is very beneficial for those who suffer from anemia. In addition, beef is rich in carotene, which is indispensable for the visual system. Beef is also necessary for people recovering from injuries, infectious diseases, burns, as well as for children and athletes, because it contains a lot of complete protein. In its properties, veal differs significantly from beef.

Veal contains an abundance of easily digestible amino acids and minerals and is recognized as the healthiest meat. In addition, this meat is low in cholesterol and the cholesterol load the body receives when consuming it is much less than from beef and lamb. Veal also contains gelatin, which promotes blood clotting, and its consumption is beneficial for people suffering from heart and vascular diseases. In addition, veal contains special extractive substances that have no nutritional value, but stimulate the secretion of gastric juice. Thus, eating veal helps improve digestion. Veal meat is well suited for those people who care about their health.

Veal does not have a pronounced aroma, it is tender, easily digestible and versatile in use. This meat has a delicate fiber structure, and the meat of dairy calves contains virtually no fat, but only a very thin white film of subcutaneous fat.

Assimilated beef and veal differently: beef is digestible by 75%, and veal by 90. This is due to the fact that the muscle tissue fibers of an adult animal are larger, and the connective tissues are stronger, compared to the muscles of a young bull or calf. Therefore, it is better to give preference to veal, it is more tender and softer than beef and is easier on the stomach.

However, since it contains purine bases, which form uric acid during the body’s metabolism. Its accumulation in the body can cause kidney failure and contribute to the development of osteochondrosis and gout. In children, purine bases can cause acetone syndrome. Therefore, the daily dose of beef or veal should not exceed 100 grams.

24.05.2013

Veal vs. young bull meat vs. beef

Just the other day I posted a photo of a veal back with the comment that although it was tasty, the meat of a young bull tastes better to me... I received a question: Isn't the meat of a young bull veal? Just answer " No“, it seemed to me not enough, so I’ll try to explain the difference as simply as possible and with pictures. Moreover, there are several interesting details.

Photo: young bulls on the day they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

Let's start figuring out the difference with the appearance of the meat. Pay attention to the color:
VEAL: light meat - white fat

Young bull meat (quarters to the left of suckling pigs):
meat - darker and brighter, already red in color,
the fat is still white, but a yellowish tint appears.

INTERESTING: As cattle age, the fat changes color.
The very yellow fat shows the meat of old animals.
Much, of course, depends on the feed and breed. But the principle remains:
a calf's fat is white, while an old cow/bull's fat is yellow.

Veal

Please note the slight color changes towards the middle of the piece!
The piece is not fried to death! But the difference in color between fried and uncooked may not be immediately noticeable!

Young bull:

What do we see (except that I eat beef rare)?
The meat of a young bull during heat treatment changes color significantly more: from red to light brown...

DIFFERENCE THAT IS NOT SEEN IN THE PICTURE:
Photos are not capable of conveying smells and tastes.
And in this case, this is important!
Because both the smell and taste of young bull meat is much more intense than calf meat.

Now it's time to look at the cutting diagrams for veal and beef!

CUTTING SCHEMES FOR COMPARISON:
I think there’s no need to even pee here, where’s the calf, where’s the bull:

And now it’s time to ask the next question, which is probably already on the tip of the tongue of those who have read this far:
How then does the meat of a “young bull” differ from “regular beef”?
For clarity, I will give a completely politically incorrect and sexist comparison that everyone can understand...
In the same way that a girl of 18 years old differs from a lady under 50: one is simply good as is (due to her youth and natural health), and the second, in order to “compete” with the first, requires intensive care, a cosmetologist, a marinade (otherwise you won’t be able to chew the barbecue ), spices and a long stay in the oven), special cooking recipes... or - for sausage!
Again, there is a difference between a heifer from the village of Big Irons and a Miss World contestant of the same age: about the same difference between a young bull of a beef breed, and a mostly elderly dairy cow, which produces “ordinary beef”...

So, pay attention!
The meat of young bulls is obtained from beef (or meat and dairy) bulls, about one year old and with a live weight of 750 kg. This is what they look like before being sent to slaughter:

For comparison, here is a photo of an adult sire:

Please note: you can hardly see the people behind him, only their heads, but here are young bulls again, and also next to the man:

From a bull of 750 kg of live weight, about 500 kg of so-called slaughter weight is obtained: the hooves, skin, head, and entrails are minus. This kind of meat is also called steak beef.

I don’t have the opportunity to show the difference between steak beef/young bull meat and “regular” beef on a plate, because “regular beef” doesn’t end up on my plate in the form of a piece of meat. This is the meat of adult animals, usually of lower quality, which is processed into sausages, etc.
There is a significant difference in taste if “regular beef” is also grilled into a steak from the same cut as steak beef/young bull meat.
At the slaughterhouse, I don’t often see the carcasses of former dairy cows. But they can be seen from afar by the color of the fat and by their “constitution.” That is, there is a visual difference between carcasses/half-carcasses.

Not everything is simple with veal either..
There is “forced production” of veal, when it is more expensive to deal with babies, because fattening a boy of a dairy breed into a bull is not profitable: he gains weight worse and the meat is worse (and therefore cheaper) than that of his peer of a meat or meat and dairy breed.
So it turns out "regular veal".
And it also happens dairy veal. This is a special specialization of meat production and a special science: the baby is fed real cow's milk (which ordinary calves, even elite meat breeds, do not see at all). Accordingly, its meat, which is more expensive, turns out tastier.

Some interesting facts about veal(data from the WMC World Meat Congress in Paris):

The world record for consumption is confidently held by the EU, where veal is a traditional product for southern European cuisine.

The highest demand for veal is in France (3.9 kg per capita in 2010) and Italy (3.4 kg).
By comparison, veal consumption in Belgium is about 1 kg per year per capita, and in the United States it averages 0.23 kg.
At the same time, it is characteristic that even in the USA and Canada, demand increases noticeably precisely where immigrants from the corresponding regions of Europe live compactly. Thus, in the USA, the main buyers of veal are Italian restaurants, and in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, 3.2 kg of veal per capita is consumed per year.

France is the leader in veal production in the EU.

Whatever they say about the harmful effects of meat products on the human body, the vast majority of people use them as food. There are, of course, those who deny food of animal origin, depriving themselves not only of the unique taste sensations, but also of the beneficial substances contained in it. No matter how valuable plant products are, it is difficult to live without meat products. Therefore, specialists are more likely to hear, for example, that beef or veal is healthier than to answer the question of what is healthier: meat or potatoes.

Beneficial features

As you understand, when talking about these types of meat, we mean, by and large, one product, only with different “aging.” Accordingly, the age of a calf cannot be compared with the age of an adult, just as it is difficult to compare their meat when answering the question of what is healthier: veal or beef. The thing is that they, although in different quantities, contain the same beneficial substances: vitamins and minerals. In particular, the vitamin range, consisting of some essential B vitamins, deserves attention, while the adult cow is the leader in the content of cobalamin (vitamin B12), but there are more vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6 and B9 in veal. The same applies to nicotinic acid, while there is more vitamin E in beef.

Comparative analysis

Given the desire of many people to live actively and eat healthy food, it is especially worth talking about the calorie content of both products. It’s easy to guess that beef is higher in calories and fat (if you take average values, and they differ in different parts of the animal). This has both its pros and cons. On the one hand, veal tenderloin is more suitable for those who are concerned about their figure, on the other hand, veal is more difficult to cook, and this is due to less fat. It is very easy to dry out veal and spoil it accordingly. It is also worth noting that there is a larger amount of water, which also complicates the cooking process.

Indicators of microelements per 100 g

The meat of both animals contains vitamins B, PP, E.

Is veal healthier?

Be that as it may, many are trying to buy veal, which is in high demand and it is difficult to find a quality product. It can be easily identified with the naked eye by its delicate pink color, although many sellers can even magically turn beef into a calf. If you are lucky enough to buy a fresh piece of veal, remember that lean veal tenderloin is ideal for hypertensive patients and those suffering from cardiovascular diseases, although it contains a lot of cholesterol. It is well absorbed by the body, so it is even included in dietary and baby food.

When answering the question, which is healthier, beef or veal, you can rephrase it and ask which product has more contraindications for consumption. In this regard, veal is preferable. Suffice it to say that an adult contains more purine compounds that cause the formation of uric acid, which is unacceptable for people with diseased joints. In addition, a cow may contain toxic compounds, especially if it grew up in poor environmental conditions. It is better to cook such meat, draining the water several times, which removes some of the toxins. Remember also about the dangers of frying, but this applies to both subjects.

Which meat is considered beef and which is veal?

Veal is the meat of young cattle from 14 days to three months. This meat counts.
Beef is the meat of adult cattle and young animals over three months old.

Classification (grades) of veal and beef
The composition and properties of meat depend on the breed and sex of the slaughtered animal (for example, cow meat has less moisture but more fat compared to bull meat). The most prized beef comes from beef cattle.

Beef and veal are divided into 3 grades. The first grade includes the back, breast, fillet, sirloin, rump and rump; to the second - the scapular and shoulder parts, as well as the flank; to the third - the cut, the front and back shank.

Signs of fresh and high-quality beef and veal meat
The color of high-quality beef when cut is light red; when cooked, it does not lose volume and almost does not decrease in weight. However, the color of beef can vary from bright red to red-brown, which can indicate how long ago it was cut. If the meat is too dark and dry, it may mean it has been sitting on the counter for a long time.

High-quality veal has dense tissue, light pink color - the lighter, the younger the animal was. The fat layers of veal are white, while those of beef are yellow. If the outer layer of fat is separated from the meat by a film, this means that the slaughtered animal was old.

Eating beef and veal(correct cutting of the carcass)
Beef is consumed fried, boiled, stewed, smoked, and is also used to make minced meat. For clear broths and most soups, it is best to use the rump with the bone, which is called the “sugar”, as well as the back of the rump, the rump with the bone, the shoulder and shoulder parts of the carcass. Beef (veal) fried with blood is a wonderful food for men.

For cabbage soup and borscht, fattier meat is required (the front part of the brisket, the so-called “chelka”). Soup is made from the shank, but it should be borne in mind that this part of the carcass takes longer to cook and often shank soup acquires a specific smell and stickiness characteristic of jellies. Soups are also prepared from the rib section of the shoulder and flank parts of the carcass. Jellies are made from shanks.

Fried meat dishes are best prepared from tenderloin, fillet, the inner part of the rump (the so-called “cut”), the upper part of the rump, as well as entrecote (the pulp located along the dorsal vertebrae)

Veal is considered one of the dietary and low-calorie types of meat. To some extent, this is the same beef, but “younger”. Beef and veal meat differ significantly both in nutritional value and vitamin composition.

Why is veal better than beef?

Veal has more protein than beef and significantly less fat. If one hundred grams of beef contains about 15 g of protein, then in veal this figure is about 20 g. Beef contains 30 g of fat, veal - 6.8 g. However, in this case, the fat content indicator depends on a certain part of the carcass. Due to its low fat content, veal is quite difficult to cook. In order for the meat to be tender, you will have to spend a lot of time.

Veal and beef contain a high percentage of cholesterol. One hundred grams of product may contain about 80 mg of cholesterol. There is slightly more water in veal than in beef. This figure in beef is 55, and in veal more than 70.

Useful properties of veal and beef

If we consider the differences in the content of useful substances, then veal wins in many respects. It contains much more phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, and potassium than beef. In turn, beef contains more calcium, iron, fluorine, zinc and selenium.

Beef and veal contain B vitamins. Veal contains slightly more vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9. Also, veal is ahead of beef in terms of percentage of vitamin PP. Beef contains more E and B12.

When purchasing veal, you should understand that it contains much more water than beef. But in turn, its composition is rich in useful elements and vitamins. Veal is much better digestible and can be consumed by both children and older people.

Veal is good for diabetics, anemia and hypertension. Meat contains a large amount of iron and in order for it to be better absorbed, it is useful to eat veal with cabbage. Veal is useful for urolithiasis and heart disease.

Contraindications

If veal does not have any special contraindications, then it is better not to consume beef for people who have problems with digestion and the circulatory system. Beef contains a large amount of purine bases, which promote the release of uric acid, which can lead to gout, osteochondrosis and vascular problems.

High cholesterol levels can cause heart disease. The kidneys and liver may be damaged. Beef contains harmful and toxic substances, and in order to minimize their quantity, the water must be drained several times during cooking. Fried beef can cause cancer.

When asked which is healthier, beef or veal, calf meat will win. It does not have such a high percentage of fat and cholesterol. Low-calorie meat is suitable for all age groups. A large amount of nutrients and vitamins will help prevent many diseases and strengthen the body.