Which is best meat, lamb, beef, pork, or chicken?
By elfear
In this hub, I will discuss the most popular meat beef, pork, lamb and chicken and compare them in terms of nutrition, fat, and taste. Less popular meat like duck, rabbit, goose, turkey are not included.
Red or white?
Red meat in culinary terminology refers to meat which is red-colored when raw, as contrasted with white meat. Beef, pork, lamb are considered "red" while chicken and rabbit are invariably considered "white".
Red meat is one of the richest sources of iron and complete protein. It also contains levels of creatine, minerals such as zinc and phosphorus, and vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B12, thiamin and riboflavin. Red meat is the richest source of Alpha Lipoic Acid, a powerful antioxidant.
However, regular consumption of red meat presents several health risks, largely due to the saturated fat content. including a notable increase in cancer risk, e.g. breast cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Regular consumption of red meat has also been linked to bone loss, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and arthritis.
The healthy eating pyramid recommends that red meat be consumed sparingly.
Meat form intensive chicken farm
Consumption of white meat has risen dramatically over the past few decades, driven by the availability of cheap, mass-produced chicken. However, the recent exposure of conditions in intensive chicken farm questions the value of chicken meat produced from such poor conditions.
The majority of poultry are farmed intensively in battery cages or overcrowded chicken sheds, mutilated and unable to express their natural behaviours. chickens are made to grow super-fast through a combination of genetics, high-protein feed and often growth-promoting chemicals. Their hearts, lungs and bones struggle to keep pace: the skeleton of a 6-week old bird now carries the equivalent weight of a 12-week old bird. As a result, millions of chickens suffer crippling legs or succumb to heart failure.
Animal disease and its impact on meat
Various animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and avian influenza (birds flu) cast doubts on beef and chicken.
The pig is not an exception, being the carrier of various helminths, like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. One of the most dangerous and common is Taenia solium, a type of tapeworm. Tapeworms may transplant to human intestines as well by consuming untreated or uncooked pork.
Eat well, and prosper
Based on the above considerations, I personally think that lamb is the best meat of the four.
Lamb is fairly fatty, and, unlike pork, the fat is not entirely edible - it is more like tallow. This contributes to the high price of lamb, because by the time the lamb is trimmed of its fat and other nonedible parts, the resulting meat is only about 40% of its weight.
Some people are turned off by the smell of lamb, but what they are smelling is burning lamb fat, which does have a very "lamby" odor - for these people I recommend leaner cuts that have been well trimmed.
Comments
Never in all my born days have I encountered such biased drivel. To say I am appalled would be an understatement. Any animal that has to be eaten in its infancy in order to make it mildly edible can not be ranked amongst the world's truly great meats. Fillet is first, Fillet is finest. Discussion over,
Yours,
R.R.
Dear Roger, while I respect your views I would like to take this opportunity to point out that you are quite simply wrong. Sheep can be enjoyed at a variety of ages and colours and indeed some say that this adds to it's unique scent and flavours.
Can I humbly suggest that you keep your posts to the beef affecionados forums.
Respectfully,
Mr John Lambshank Esq.
Dear Shanks,
I don't normally lower myself to such forum sniping, but in your case you have regrettably riled my emotions and I feel compelled to 'bite', as it were.
It's really very simple, the meat ranks are well defined throughout all cultures and continents of the world.
1. Beef, God's Own Meat.
2. Meat of the Feathered Beasts (of all descriptions encompassing Quail to Goose & Gander)
3. Pig. (Boar through to Long......)
4. Meat of the Dipped Animals. Dirty cleft hoofed Beasts, lower tier low grade ruminants that are fit only for the plates and palates of peasants. (Sheep are included within this poor catergory of 4th rate foodstuffs.)
Please keep your repulsive mutton based musings to yourself and cease from disseminating your misleading sheep love fuelled propaganda on an unmonitored unmoderated internet page.
Yours in Disgust,
R.R.
Ooooooooh! Roger Rump!
totally agree that lamb is the best cut of meat in its flavour ,aroma and has variable ways of cooking.
What a lot of hype Roger The COW is Gods animal so dont eat it become a vegetarian.
But we can all agree that chicken is inferior to all the others.
mr roger...very interesting point...but lamb is very expensive these days..so maybe its not that low class anymore..and i have to agree the age and even sex of the sheep adds to the flavor and texture...talking from my own experience...
pork is an inferior meat
I have been a Chef for over 30 years and I know for a fact that Lamb IS a better meat than any other red meat! I know this because I also have a Master Degree in Nutrition. and by the Rodger Rump Roast~~You need to seek an Anger Control Center~~going off on a Little Lamb seems to be a little over the top~~
The FACT is, no animal is "God's animal" because you're basing your opinions on a mythology. I won't debate religion here but some of you are illogical, arrogant, sniveling, pricks who suffer from religious-psychosis. Good day, sirs.
@Facts not Faith,
Really? Of all the things you could bring up, you have to bring up religion/theology? I think you are the one suffering from a psychosis, perhaps even a religious one. It seems any mention of religion makes you very angry. You're almost as bad as Mr. Rump when it comes to someone talking down his beloved beef.
As for meat, it's all delicious! Enjoy it all in many different dishes and cuts!
I think lamb and beef is better, because they have less saturated fatty than pork.
Dear friends, It's sad to read anger when the dispute could be possibly cleared up if you could see what I see. Red meat energetically "looks" grayish red. I am sorry to say but our little pig friends are very toxic. Do you understand they cannot remove toxins effectively b/c they cannot sweat? Please avoid them, they are very congestive to the body, especially the nervous system. Our sweet cow friends, goats and sheep fall next in line. The muscle tissue is dense and heavy. It also has a grayish brown energy to it. Chicken is a bit better it's simply a grayish tinge, maybe a bit reddish brown here and there. Fish, I apologize to say that catfish, eel, and fish that eat feces and dead animals from the bottom of the ocean are gray in color and would best be avoided, they are toxic as well. Please try to eat very clean foods, never mind the fat, that is the least of the problem. Fish that swim in the salt water, with scales have the most effective toxin removal abilities. Salt naturally sterilizes them. Don't forget Tilapia and flounder are cheap fish but unclean. Please try to eat organically and grass fed red meats when you are really craving them. They are expensive, I know, but hospital bills and meds are far more costly. I am not a tree hugger but I love the planet and I love people and I never write on things like this. But I can see with my eyes how contaminated the foods are, I am just sensitive this way. Our choices are getting slimmer by the day in the US of what to eat. And religious or not, if you could see what happens when you bless your food before you eat it you would never miss a day of saying "thank's" to some higher power for the meal you're eating. When you put your hands over the food, just say please may this cow, pig, fish, veggie adjust to my body and fill me with all the nutrients and energy I need to be strong, healthy and happy. The food begins to brightly glow! See how you feel after you eat. Are you bloated, crabby, sleepy or energized and clear-headed and ready to finish your day? Everyone and anyone can say this and that about foods, their are arguments for all sides, but you,you, you are the best judge of your own bodies. See how you feel. Trust it. You will never meet me, but I will say this. I send you, all of you, my best that your are healthy, prosperous and successful in all that you do. I wish this for all of you, every day. I am the one who smiles at you for no reason and sends you blessings just because you share the air with me and you are a person who deserves respect and kindness and all this Earth is giving us. I could walk by you tomorrow and you'd never know. I will stop now, maybe I am a foolish young woman, but I care for all of you and your health. Be well.
great article,very interesting to know about different meats.
Pork for the win, beef can hush it's gums.
Great comparasion but would welcome more detail in numbers such as protein, fat, iron, blah blah per kg.
How is it you didn't mention horse or Osterich?
And bacon strips, and bacon strips and bacon strips...
That guy ranting about beef is a douchebag, lamb is far superior and healthier.
lamb is the cleanest, tastiest and finest meat in my opinion.
lamb is the best meat out there, beef and pork tend to cause health problems.
I think avoid eating pork meat.Because it causes so many diseases.& it should be ban .
This website is bullshit because of it's users. I'm never coming back here again.
I guess it's not a big enough issue for me to fight about. In my humble opinion all the fighting seems a little foolish. I'm with @SilentBob, "As for meat, it's all delicious! Enjoy it all in many different dishes and cuts!"
Lamb is the best option.
The beefy is a real idiot...
I grew up in the restaurant business eating he best beef and lamb that you can not find today. Nowadays I enjoy chicken, preferably organic, four to five times a week along with fish and red meat too. With plenty of vegetables and fruit and vitamins I am pushing 95. Educate yourselves and enjoy a glass of wine too!
Pork for breakfast too once a week.
All this noise over what meat is best? Silly.
Lamb is good,beef is better but pork is best. Religious restrictions on pig consumption wz in the old testament. As for muslims dont they ve old testament? Well cooked pork is healthier.
Great article. may roger rabitt suffocate on an undercooked piece of cow. what an idiot
John Lambshank 3 years ago
What a great article. For the record I agree with the conclusion, Lamb is indeed quite possibly the greatest meat ever. Keep up the good journalism!