Tuesday’s Cupful: Ground Beef

Mix it, beat it, pat it, eat it

Ground beef is popular among U.S. consumers. It’s used heavily in all-American dishes, such as meatloaf and cheeseburgers. The butcher grounds or finely chops different beef cuts to make different grades of ground beef. The most expensive and leaner ground beef comes from grinding sirloin. This variety of ground beef is also labeled “extra-lean.” Ground round is also lean. Ground chuck has more fat and is more tasty. Hamburger or plain “ground beef” – the cheapest -- may contain up to 30 percent fat. Cooks may need to add fat to the frying pan when using extra-lean ground beef. The Mixed Stew crew suggests making grilled hamburger patties with 2 parts ground chuck combined with 1 part ground round. We find that this mix makes juicy and yummy cheeseburgers. And, we treat ourselves by going to a local butcher shop for the freshest beef.