Ground beef

Ground beef, also known as hamburger meat in North America or minced beef in other English-speaking countries, is beef that has been finely chopped. This can be done with a knife or using a special machine called a meat grinder. Ground beef is a very popular ingredient in many tasty dishes. You can find it in hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloaf, meatballs, kofta, and even burritos.

Sometimes the word "mincemeat" is used to describe ground beef, but it can also mean a sweet mixture made from chopped fruits, spices, and sometimes a little alcohol. This mixture is often used to fill pies called mince pies. Whether it’s in savory meals or sweet treats, ground beef and mincemeat are both useful and enjoyed in many kitchens around the world.

Contents

In many countries, there are rules about what can go into ground beef. For example, in the United States, beef fat can be added to hamburger meat but not to ground beef if it is processed at a special plant. In the US, both hamburger and ground beef can have up to 30% fat. In France, the fat amount can be between 5% and 20%, with most places using about 15%. In Germany, regular ground beef can have up to 15% fat, but a special type called "Tatar" for steak tartare must have less than 5% fat. Both types of beef can have seasoning, phosphate, or other ingredients added, but no extra water is allowed. Ground beef is often made from less popular cuts of beef, and sometimes small pieces from better cuts are also used.

Ground beef can include a special product made from beef trimmings using a specific technology. This product is treated to remove harmful germs and is used in many ground beef products in the US. However, there have been questions about its safety, and some companies stopped using it for a time when high levels of germs were found.

Categorization

Ground beef can be made from many different cuts of beef, but chuck steak is often chosen because it has a nice flavor and a good balance of meat and fat. Another common choice is round steak. In the United States, ground beef is grouped by the type of cut and how much fat it has:

• Chuck: 78–84% lean
• Round: 85–89% lean
• Sirloin: 90–95% lean

Culinary use

Ground beef is a popular and affordable type of beef that cooks quickly. It is often used to make hamburgers, sausages, and cottage pie. It is also a key ingredient in meatloaf, sloppy joes, meatballs, and tacos, and can be added to pizzas as a topping. Ground beef is used to prepare meat sauces for dishes like lasagna and spaghetti bolognese. In the Middle East, it is used to make spicy kofta and meatballs. In Scotland, there is a dish called "mince and tatties" that combines ground beef with mashed or boiled potatoes. In Lancashire, minced meat is often used as a filling for rag pudding. The Dutch dish slavink is made from ground meat that is half beef and half pork, rolled in bacon.

Raw, lean ground beef can be used to make steak tartare, a French dish. When it is diced more finely and seasoned differently, it is enjoyed as a main course or a dressing in Belgium, where it is called filet américain ("American fillet").

Food safety

Ground beef can sometimes have harmful bacteria, which is why it needs to be cooked well to stay safe to eat. It should be cooked to 72 °C (160 °F) to make sure all bacteria are gone. The color of the meat doesn’t always show if it’s cooked enough.

Special rules help keep ground beef safe in school lunches and other food programs. These rules make sure the meat is safe before it reaches people’s plates. In 2013, some foods in the UK and Europe were found to have horse meat even though they were labeled as ground beef.

Food safety of ground meat E. coli O157:H7 National School Lunch Program 2013 horse meat scandal