A method for the separation of fat from beef. The method includes reducing the size of beef into particles, wherein the particles are either predominantly fat particles or predominantly lean particles combining the fat and lean particles with a fluid, wherein a density of the fluid is greater than fat particles, and a temperature of the fluid is greater than a temperature of the lean particles, and the fluid density is adjusted to provide a predetermined proportion of lean particles to sink in the fluid allowing the fat and lean particles to rise or fall in the fluid, while the temperature of the lean particles equilibrates with the temperature of the fluid, and increases the density of the lean particles separating the fat particles from the lean particles to produce a lean beef product.
