Category: Meat - Beef
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Beef mince, Ground beef or hamburger meat, is a ground meat product, made of beef finely chopped by a meat grinder.
It is called ground beef in North America, but can then also include pork.
Ground beef is used in many recipes such as hamburgers and spaghetti bolognese.
In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can contain.
In the UK
Beef mince is made on the premises, usually by local by local butcher shops or instore at the supermarkets.
There are several different fat contents in the mince and this ranges from high fat in lower priced products to the lean and extra lean varieties, usually sold as steak mince or has the description Lean or Extra Lean on the packaging.
As a guide, if the mince is pale then it contains a large amount of fat, whereas should it be dark and uniform in colour, it will tend to be more leaner.
It is however always best to make your own minced beef.
Use a casserole or stewing beef like thin flank, neck or even chuck.
Trim off excess fat and use a food processor or mincing machine to mince the meat.
In the United States
Beef fat may be added to hamburger, but not to ground beef, if the meat is ground and packaged at a USDA-inspected plant. A maximum of 30% fat by weight is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef.
Both hamburger and ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders, or binders added. Ground beef is often marketed in a range of different fat contents, to match the preferences of different customers.
Ground beef is usually made from tougher meat and leftover meat created when the sides of beef are carved into steaks and roasts . About 17-18% of US ground beef comes from dairy cows.
Beef mince is popular as a relatively cheap and quick-cooking form of beef.
One of its most well known uses is in American hamburgers.
It is an important ingredient in meatloaf, sloppy joe, taco, and Midwestern cuisine. Italians use it to make meat sauces for, for example, lasagna and spaghetti bolognese.
In the Middle East it is used to make spicy kofta and meatballs.
The Scottish dish mince and tatties uses it along with mashed or boiled potatoes.
In Lancashire, particularly Oldham, minced meat is a common filling for Rag Puddings.
Raw lean ground beef is used to make steak tartare, and is popular as a sandwich dressing in Belgium, where it is known as filet am‚ricain ("American fillet").
UK law does not specify a maximum fat content for mince unless it is sold under a specific name, such as 'lean minced meat', when the fat content must not exceed 7%.
If mince is described in any other way, for example 'minced meat- lean', the law does not apply.
However, the Food Safety Act says that food must not be presented or described in a way that misleads the consumer.
Minced beef guidance devised by the Association of Public Analysts (APA) state that 'lean' beef should contain no more than 16g of fat and 'extra/super lean' beef mince no more than 9g of fat per 100g.
Public analysts have applied a maximum limit of 25% fat for 'standard' minced beef, which is widely established in case law. The FSA has asked local authorities to take action where the fat content of the samples has exceeded these limits.
Matching Beef to wine table
Special beef designation names, click here |