Ground beef is versatile but can have high fat levels. Rinse before cooking to reduce fat, but this also reduces flavor. Premium beef is less fatty but more expensive. Frozen meat should be thawed before cooking to avoid loss of flavor. Don’t press or poke the meat while cooking.
There are dozens of recipes for which ground beef can be used, including popular dishes like lasagna and spaghetti bolognese. Fat levels in lower quality beef are a problem, but the amount of fat can be reduced by rinsing the meat before cooking. Regular beef also shrinks more than its lean counterpart due to the fat in the meat. Avoid cooking the mince when frozen, as this reduces the flavor of the meat. Don’t use a spatula to squeeze the meat while cooking the mince, as this also causes a loss of flavor.
Ground beef is typically used for mincing, and while it’s cheaper than whole cuts of meat, it also contains a higher level of fat. To remove fat when using mince in a casserole, rinse the meat before searing. Otherwise, once the meat is fully browned, pour it into a colander, which should be placed over a sink, and rinse it with hot water. Drain the water and pat the meat dry with clean paper towels. The fat content is significantly reduced, but so is the flavour.
Premium beef is more expensive than regular ground beef because lean beef shrinks less when cooked. As the fat in regular beef is heated, it is drained off, leaving a small amount of the rest of the meat. Choosing thinner cuts will result in less shrinkage.
Storing mince in a freezer after purchase is the ideal way to keep it fresh. Meat tends to spoil if left in the refrigerator for a few days, so freezing meat ensures its longevity. Cooking frozen ground beef, however, is possible but not recommended.
Natural beef juices become ice crystals when the mince is frozen, which means that cooking the mince while frozen causes a lot of the juice to drain out, reducing the flavor. Therefore, it’s important to plan ahead when cooking mince. Minced meat should be removed from the freezer several hours before cooking so that the ice crystals melt.
Use a spatula to press down on the meat as the mince cooks. This results in all the flavor being squeezed out. It’s also a bad idea to poke holes in the meat while cooking. This leads to loss of moisture, resulting in less flavor. The spatula should be used to turn the meat rather than pressing it.
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