Ground beef is a versatile ingredient in a number of dishes spanning across a wide variety of cuisines. Typically cheaper than whole cuts of meat, ground beef is easy to brown up for use as a protein-rich base ingredient in your favorite meals. Whether mixed into a sloppy joe sandwich, prepared as a filling for loaded beef enchiladas, or tossed with cheese and other ingredients to make a hearty casserole, ground beef does it all. One crucial tip when cooking with ground beef is to be aware of the fat content. For browning ground beef, the absolute best choice is actually a leaner style between 10% and 15% fat content. While this may depend on what’s available from your butcher, it helps to avoid wasting the fat that you’d end up draining after cooking.
Though fat can be useful to flavor hamburger patties or meatballs, meat with a higher beef-to-fat ratio is ideal when browning ground beef for dishes with several ingredients. The three most common beef-to-fat ratios you’re likely to find in the supermarket are 80:20, 85:15, and 90:10, each of which will come at a different price point, with the leaner versions being slightly higher. Choosing a slightly pricier but leaner option will help to avoid food waste and make the most of your meat.
More tips for browning lean ground beef
When browning lean beef, it’s important to keep taste and texture in mind and have a little patience with the process. Start by drying the raw beef on a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture and allow the meat time to get to room temperature after being in the fridge. Because the meat is lean, you’ll also want to include a small amount of oil in your pan to keep the meat from sticking. Season your beef with salt while it cooks in the pan, and make sure it browns evenly on all sides before adding it to its destined dish.
With so many uses for cooked ground beef, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Try using it in a shepherd’s pie-inspired tater tot hotdish recipe that’s filled with comforting flavors and Midwestern charm. Add your cooked beef as a topping to a piled-high plate of nachos for extra protein. If you have extra browned ground beef left over, store it in an airtight container, which will keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months. A leaner option of ground beef is especially good to store for later use, as there will be less fat to congeal when the meat is chilled.
