Cow refers to the female bovine animal and calf to the young male bovine animal. A bull is the adult male bovine while a castrated male that is used for agricultural work and meat production is called an ox. In Greece, the native bovines are small sized animals with a black or grey coat. They have the ability to walk all day and they produce milk sufficient enough to feed their calves. Beef meat is usually produced from bovines of two years of age. Veal cuts are smaller compared to beef cut and contain less fat. Beef is considered the predominant red meat due to myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein found in the muscle cells.
Beef and veal meat contain high biological value protein, complex B vitamins, iron, zinc, and selenium. Red meat actually constitutes one of the best sources of iron, magnesium, B12 vitamin and zinc. At the same time, it should also be mentioned that it is a source of saturated (bad) fat and cholesterol. Studies have associated red meat with the occurence of cardiovascular diseases and various forms of cancer. Dietary recommendations stress the low consumption of red meat and limit it to 4 small servings per month. An alternative option is the consumption of lean red meat, such as veal fillet, and the removal of any visible fat before cooking or eating.