Beef hasn't been in our good books for a while. We often think that it has too much cholesterol and fat, so we tend to dismiss it almost immediately. But let's set the record straight. Eaten in reasonable portions, beef is not evil. From the nutritional point of view, it's a great source of zinc, iron and protein (each 100g serving meets 51 per cent of your daily requirement) - all necessary, especially if you're into an active lifestyle.

More happy news: The iron in red meat is better absorbed by the body than that in bread and cereals. There's also what the experts call the meat factor. When you eat meat, it increases your body's absorption of iron from plants by two to four times. And for all its girth-expanding abilities, you can't trim fat off your diet completely; it is essential in aiding the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and formation of hormones. From a gastronomic point of view, beef is hearty, comforting, lusciously indulgent, and offers a match-made-in-heaven when paired with a robust, mellow red wine.

To beef-up on your knowledge on how to cook beef, here's a list of popular cuts and their accompanying recipes that you can try.

SIRLOINSTEAK

Where: The sirloin is cut from the lower portion of the ribs, which also cuts yields such as boneless top sirloin (or top butt), and top sirloin cap steak.

Characteristics: It has a full-bodied flavour and those parts with some marbling are tenderer than cuts from the loin and rib. Here's a tip when buying sirloin: Ask for top sirloin steak, which comes with a long, flat part of the hip bone.

RIB-EYE STEAK

Where: This comes from the rib portion of the cow. Other cuts from this area include baby back ribs, short ribs and rib steak.

Characteristics: Cuts from this region are popular as they are a combination of flavour and tenderness. What gives the rib-eye its rich, juicy, flavour is also what people avoid - fat. This cut is ringed by a layer of fat, with generous marbling within the meat. Rib-eye also goes by the name of fillet or Scotch steak, and rib roast or prime rib in its uncut form.

TENDERLOIN

Where: This comes from between the sirloin and the rib. The two main muscles there are the tenderloin and the top loin. The tenderloin gets cut into chateaubriand or filet mignon.

Characteristics: This is the most expensive cut from the cow. It is lightly marbled, very lean and tender. This area of the cow is not well exercised, so the tissues are not toughened. It's also known as tournedos and medallions.

CHUCK

Where: The shoulder area between the cow's neck and shoulder gives over six kinds of cuts: arm, blade, chuck, chuck eye, mock tender, seven bone, shoulder, and under bone steaks.

Characteristics: Similar to the bottom round, the chuck is lean and tough. But it has good flavour, and is less expensive than many other cuts. If you're making burgers, buy ground chuck as it has the best percentage of meat to fat.

BOTTOM ROUND

Where: This cut comes from the hind section of the cow, specifically from the outside thigh. The hind also yields other cuts like eye of the round, top round and, cube and rump steak.

Characteristics: It's generally a very lean muscle that has been toughened by exercise, and less tender than other parts like the rib, short loin and sirloin cuts. But when cooked properly, it can offer the best combination of texture and flavour.

SERVES 2

You'll need:

160-180g rump

15g French beans (about 10-15) 1 tomato, halved

Salt and pepper to taste

String

Chickpea mousse

100g chickpeas

30m1 olive oil

30m1 lemon juice

1 tsp mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Red wine sauce

30g shallots, finely sliced 1 carrot, cut into chunks 1 leek, cut into chunks 1 celery, cut into chunks 1 onion, cut into chunks 1 bottle (750m1) red wine 1 litre beef stock

To prepare:

1. Place chickpeas in a food processor and blitz into a smooth paste. Add in the rest of the ingredients to taste, and set aside for use later.

2. Slice beef into three slices and pound. Spread a generous layer of chickpea mousse over each slice of beef, arrange the French beans and tomatoes on top of the mousse, and then roll up the beef in a cigar shape. Secure it with string, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a little oil in a pan, and sear the beef rolls. Then, place them in a roasting pan, and bake in the oven at 180 to 250 deg C for 60 to 90 minutes.

4. To make the sauce, heat some oil in a pan. Saute shallots, carrot, leek, celery, and onions briefly.

5. Add in the red wine, and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the beef stock, and turn the heat down. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and serve with mashed potato.

SERVES 1

You'll need:

160g-180g rib-eye, sliced 120g arugula

4 cherry tomatoes, halved 15g grated parmesan

Dressing

5 tbsp balsamic vinegar 50m1 olive oil

20g sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

1. Sprinkle rib-eye with salt and pepper, and pan-sear it over high heat until it is done to your liking. About 3-5 minutes for medium rare. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. Place arugula and tomatoes in a bowl, add in the dressing and toss.

3. To serve, place the beef on a plate and add in the salad on the side.

SERVES 2

You'll need:

180g tenderloin, finely sliced 250g thick noodles of your choice 20g bean sprouts

2 cloves garlic, whole

Beef stock

lkg beef bones

3 onions

2 pieces star anise

1 cinnamon stick (about 6cm long) 1 old ginger, slice

30ml dark soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

To make:

1. To make the beef stock for the noodles, pour water into a stockpot and add the beef bones, garlic, onions, ginger, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring it to a strong boil.

2. Add salt, pepper and dark soya sauce, then turn down the flame and let it simmer over medium fire for about an hour.

3. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes. Next, blanch the bean sprouts and set aside. Blanch the beef slightly and set aside.

4. To serve, place some noodles, bean sprouts and beef in a bowl. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer and ladle over the noodles.

TENDERLY DOES IT

Choosing leaner cuts, however, means having to deal with tougher meat as well. This is because the fat intertwined within the meat - also known as marbling - is what gives beef its flavour and tenderness. Fat bastes the meat and keeps it moist as it cooks and melts. With less fat, the cut of meat is therefore less juicy. The good news is, there are ways around it.

Tenderise beef with a pinch of sodium bicarbonate mixed with the marinade.

Pineapple can also act as a natural tenderiser for meat.

9- Hold off the salt until you are cooking the beef as it tends to render it chewy.

Marinate meat well before grilling, roasting or frying. A nice combination is always oyster sauce, spring onions, garlic, Chinese wine, pepper and a touch of sugar.

When cooking a roast, turn down the temperature and let it sit in the oven for a longer period of time. Cooking it at 160 deg C for 3-4 hours would give it a melt-in-the-mouth tenderness.

SERVES 1-2

You'll need:

160-180g sirloin, cut into small chunks 1 carrot, cut into thick chunks

1 large onion, quartered

1 leek, cut into thick chunks

1 celery, cut into thick chunks

250-300ml Barolo wine (or any full-bodied

red wine)

Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

1. Heat oil in an oven-proof saucepan or dutch oven. Saute the carrots, onions, leeks and celery for around 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

2. Add the beef and red wine, and bring to boil. Then turn down flame to let it simmer for around 5 minutes.

3. Place the lid over the saucepan, and pop it into the oven and bake at 180 deg C until cooked - about 2-3 hours.

4. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the vegetables to a bowl and keep warm. Meanwhile, place the sauce in the saucepan over medium heat and cook until sauce has reduced and thickened.

5. Adjust seasoning and return the vegetables back into the pan.

6. While the beef is in the oven, prepare the mash potatoes. Place the potatoes in another saucepan of water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft, then drain.

7. To serve, put the mash on a serving plate and place the beef on top of it. Garnish with tomato salsa on side.

SERVES 2

You'll need:

160-180g beef chuck, cubed Salt and pepper to taste Rempah

1 onion, peeled

1 slice of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped 120g dried chilli paste

120g ground coriander

120g ground cumin

120g tomato paste

To prepare:

1. Season beef with salt and pepper.

2. Make the rempah by placing onions, ginger, garlic and lemongrass in a food processor, and grind to a paste. Then, add the chilli paste, ground coriander and cumin, and stir to blend.

3. Heat some oil in a pan and add the rempah paste. Stir-fry rempah paste briefly until fragrant, and then add in the beef. Cook for 1-2 hours until beef is tender, and add 2 cups of water.

4. Finally, stir in the tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with saffron rice and fried potato wedges.

Here's how to have your cow and eat it too:

Choose leaner cuts by looking out for the words "loin" and "round".

Trim away visible fat before cooking.

Ask for beef that's 90 per cent lean.

Use low-fat techniques to cook your beef. Good ways are grilling and roasting.

If possible, place the meat on a rack over a pan when roasting, so the fat drips away from the meat.

Eat reasonable portions - one serving would be the size of a deck of cards.