Lean meat statistics are useful when choosing a cut for a recipe, especially when the goal is a protein-rich result with a predictable amount of fat. The USDA Retail Beef Cuts PDF reports raw, separable lean measurements per 100 grams for flank, tenderloin, top sirloin, tri-tip, top round, shoulder, mock tender, and brisket flat cuts. The entries distinguish USDA Select and Choice grades and identify how much fat was trimmed before analysis.
Contents
- What the measurements represent
- Protein across the beef cuts
- Total lipid and the leanest entries
- Water content in raw lean beef
- Select and Choice comparisons
- Cut-by-cut statistics for cooking
What the measurements represent
Every figure below is reported per 100 grams of raw beef and comes from the USDA Retail Beef Cuts PDF. “Separable lean only” means the listed sample describes the lean portion identified by the source. The trimming description matters: several entries are trimmed to 0 inches of fat, while the tenderloin entries are trimmed to 1/8 inch of fat.
The four measurements used here describe different parts of the same sample. Water is the largest component by weight. Protein indicates the measured protein content. Total lipid is the source’s measure of fat. Ash is a small residual mineral measure. These are composition statistics, not cooked yields or serving-size recommendations.
The USDA entries also separate Select and Choice grades. Those labels should be kept with the numbers because the same cut can have different measured composition values under each grade. The source names the beef cut, grade, trimming specification, and raw state for every entry.
Protein across the beef cuts
The reported protein values are tightly grouped. Across the entries supplied by the USDA Retail Beef Cuts PDF, protein ranges from 20.76 grams per 100 grams for Choice top round steak to 22.27 grams for Select top sirloin. That relatively narrow spread means cut selection changes the fat and water profile more noticeably than it changes the listed protein value.
The highest reported protein value is 22.27 g per 100 g for Select beef top sirloin, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat, raw. Choice top sirloin is listed at 21.91 g. Select tenderloin contains 22.06 g, while Choice tenderloin contains 22.17 g. USDA lists Select flank at 21.43 g and Choice flank at 21.72 g.
Other cuts remain close to that band. Choice shoulder pot roast or steak is listed at 21.45 g protein, compared with 21.93 g for Select. Choice chuck mock tender steak is listed at 21.36 g and Select at 21.22 g. Brisket flat half, Choice, is listed at 21.28 g. The round and tri-tip entries include 20.76–21.38 g for top round and 21.17–21.34 g for tri-tip.
| USDA raw lean cut and grade | Protein per 100 g | Total lipid per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Top sirloin, Select | 22.27 g | 3.54 g |
| Tenderloin, Choice | 22.17 g | 7.07 g |
| Tenderloin, Select | 22.06 g | 5.93 g |
| Shoulder pot roast or steak, Select | 21.93 g | 3.70 g |
| Flank, Choice | 21.72 g | 6.29 g |
| Top round steak, Select | 21.38 g | 3.35 g |
| Brisket flat half, Choice | 21.28 g | 5.75 g |
| Top round steak, Choice | 20.76 g | 4.55 g |
These values can help compare cuts before cooking, but they do not predict the exact protein in a cooked portion. Cooking changes weight as water is lost, so a cooked serving does not retain the same per-100-gram composition as the raw entry.
Total lipid and the leanest entries
The strongest contrast in this set appears in total lipid. The lowest listed value is 3.35 g per 100 g for Select top round steak, separable lean only, trimmed to 0 inches of fat, raw. Select mock tender steak follows at 3.53 g, and Select top sirloin is listed at 3.54 g. Select shoulder pot roast or steak contains 3.70 g, while Select tri-tip contains 4.21 g.
The Choice entries are also varied. Choice top sirloin is listed at 4.62 g total lipid, Choice shoulder at 4.35 g, Choice top round at 4.55 g, and Choice mock tender at 4.60 g. Choice tri-tip rises to 7.06 g. Choice tenderloin is listed at 7.07 g, the highest total lipid value among the supplied entries. Choice flank contains 6.29 g, and Choice brisket flat half contains 5.75 g.
The trimming specification is essential when reading these values. The flank, tri-tip, top round, shoulder, mock tender, and brisket entries are trimmed to 0 inches of fat. The tenderloin entries are trimmed to 1/8 inch, so their values should not be treated as directly identical to cuts trimmed to zero. A lower lipid number in one USDA entry does not mean every retail portion of that named cut will match it.
For wild game cooking, these figures are most useful as a reference point for how lean a beef comparison cut can be under a stated trimming method. They do not provide composition data for venison or another wild species, and they should not be relabeled as wild-game measurements.
Water content in raw lean beef
Water is reported between 68.72 and 74.99 g per 100 g across the supplied raw lean entries. The highest value is 74.99 g for Select top round steak. Select mock tender is listed at 74.46 g, Select top round at 74.99 g, Select tri-tip at 73.48 g, and Select top sirloin at 73.31 g.
Choice top round contains 73.98 g water per 100 g. Choice shoulder is listed at 72.95 g, Choice mock tender at 73.20 g, Choice tri-tip at 71.33 g, and Choice brisket flat half at 72.21 g. The two flank entries are lower: Choice flank contains 68.72 g water, while Select flank contains 72.84 g. Tenderloin is listed at 71.11 g for Select and 70.17 g for Choice.
Water content helps explain why raw weight is not a fixed proxy for nutrients after cooking. A cooking method can reduce water in the finished portion, concentrating the remaining components by weight. The USDA figures here describe the raw sample only, so recipe calculations should keep raw and cooked weights separate.
Select and Choice comparisons
The grade comparisons do not move in one uniform direction. For flank, Select has more water than Choice, at 72.84 versus 68.72 g per 100 g, while its total lipid is lower, at 5.00 versus 6.29 g. Protein is 21.43 g for Select and 21.72 g for Choice.
For tenderloin, Select has 71.11 g water, 22.06 g protein, and 5.93 g total lipid. Choice has 70.17 g water, 22.17 g protein, and 7.07 g total lipid. The Choice entry therefore has slightly more listed protein and lipid, while the Select entry has more water.
Top sirloin shows a similar pattern in lipid but not protein: Select has 73.31 g water, 22.27 g protein, and 3.54 g total lipid; Choice has 72.51 g water, 21.91 g protein, and 4.62 g total lipid. Select tri-tip has 73.48 g water, 21.34 g protein, and 4.21 g lipid, compared with 71.33 g water, 21.17 g protein, and 7.06 g lipid for Choice.
The pattern continues for several lean cuts. Select top round is listed at 74.99 g water, 21.38 g protein, and 3.35 g lipid, while Choice top round has 73.98 g water, 20.76 g protein, and 4.55 g lipid. Select shoulder has 73.51 g water, 21.93 g protein, and 3.70 g lipid; Choice shoulder has 72.95 g water, 21.45 g protein, and 4.35 g lipid.
Cut-by-cut statistics for cooking
The USDA flank entries describe lean beef flank trimmed to 0 inches of fat. Choice contains 68.72 g water, 21.72 g protein, 6.29 g total lipid, and 0.99 g ash per 100 g. Select contains 72.84 g water, 21.43 g protein, 5.00 g lipid, and 0.99 g ash.
Tenderloin is listed with 1/8 inch of fat. Select provides 71.11 g water, 22.06 g protein, 5.93 g lipid, and 1.05 g ash. Choice provides 70.17 g water, 22.17 g protein, 7.07 g lipid, and 1.08 g ash.
Top sirloin, trimmed to 1/8 inch, contains 73.31 g water, 22.27 g protein, 3.54 g lipid, and 1.19 g ash in the Select entry. Choice contains 72.51 g water, 21.91 g protein, 4.62 g lipid, and 1.09 g ash.
For 0-inch-trimmed tri-tip, Choice contains 71.33 g water, 21.17 g protein, 7.06 g lipid, and 1.02 g ash. Select contains 73.48 g water, 21.34 g protein, 4.21 g lipid, and 1.10 g ash. Top round is also trimmed to 0 inches: Choice contains 73.98 g water, 20.76 g protein, 4.55 g lipid, and 1.02 g ash; Select contains 74.99 g water, 21.38 g protein, 3.35 g lipid, and 1.04 g ash.
The remaining entries provide useful lean-beef reference points. Choice shoulder pot roast or steak contains 72.95 g water, 21.45 g protein, 4.35 g lipid, and 1.14 g ash; Select contains 73.51 g water, 21.93 g protein, 3.70 g lipid, and 1.12 g ash. Choice mock tender contains 73.20 g water, 21.36 g protein, 4.60 g lipid, and 1.25 g ash; Select contains 74.46 g water, 21.22 g protein, 3.53 g lipid, and 1.12 g ash. Choice brisket flat half contains 72.21 g water, 21.28 g protein, 5.75 g lipid, and 1.00 g ash.
For a recipe decision, the most practical comparison is to match the cut, grade, raw state, and trimming specification to the entry. That keeps these lean meat statistics tied to the actual USDA description rather than treating a broad cut name as a single universal value.