Did you know that hamburgers are the most frequently sold menu item in the United States? So, it's no surprise that the second most popular item is French fries. What’s a burger without fries?! I will confess it is one of my favorite foods to order when I go out to eat, and I think most people are surprised to hear that.
Ground beef also cooks quickly and easily compared to other cuts of beef, making it a popular choice for a quick and delicious meal. With its popularity, it seems that butchers and grocery stores have come up with many new varieties of ground beef to choose from and we have been getting more and more questions from students about when, where and how to use these varieties. Of course, it is worth giving an overview of our tried-and-true varieties alongside the new kids on the block.
In the case of “ground beef 70/30” you would have ground beef comprised by weight of 70% lean ground beef and 30% fat. This would be about the highest level of fat found in ground beef.
Ground beef 70/30 is generally less expensive than more lean ground beef, largely because fat has less value than lean protein, but if the varieties are organic and/or heirloom varieties, these would be more expensive. Ground beef 70/30 is a great choice from a value perspective, at least in theory. Because fat renders out of the meat when being cooked, it shrinks more than leaner varieties of ground beef, and if you discard the fat, you have less yield.
Although fat gets a bad rap, it does offer a wonderfully juicy quality to any dish. In the case of meatballs or meatloaf, the fat can be captured and kept in the dish to reduce shrinkage. Yes, you heard me right, did you know that is why we put breadcrumbs in meat loaf and meatballs? The breadcrumbs absorb the fat and keep the meatballs and meatloaf from shrinking too much. Breadcrumbs don’t do anything the “hold” meat loaf and meatballs together but rather stretch the value of the meat by holding the fat to reduce shrinkage. The fat also adds additional rich mouth feel to your dishes and in some cases enhances flavor.
Some varieties of beef have more flavorful fat and healthful fat than others. Heirloom, grass fed and Wagyu beef tend to have deliciously flavored beef and fat. High fat ground beef is also great for stuffing vegetables as it adds some richness to the vegetable dish but also because it normally contains rice, oats, breadcrumbs or other grains that serve to capture the additional fat.
*One thing I want to stress is that fat is an incredible conductor of heat. Think of how we add a little oil to a pan to sauté almost anything. We are not adding the oil so much for the flavor but primarily to conduct heat. The higher the fat percentage in your ground beef, the quicker the meat will cook because the heat is conducted through the meat more effectively. The lower the fat percentage, the slower the meat will cook. This is one reason timing isn’t a great way to cook meat (try a meat thermometer!). Deep frying a chicken will cook it much more quickly than roasting it because of the complete immersion in fat.
I think a leaner ground beef works better for items like Sloppy Joes, tacos or a Bolognese sauce. In these dishes, we tend to keep the fat in the pan and not drain it, although you can always drain the fat if you prefer to reduce the amount of fat in your recipes. I personally believe any more than 20% fat in in any of the below dishes is unnecessary and that generally speaking a 20% ratio of fat gives you plenty of juicy mouthfeel.
Best dishes to utilize Ground Chuck 80/20:
I like to use the leaner cuts of meats for dishes like casseroles or anything that will host a rich sauce, or lots or cheese or butter. There is a point when too much richness and fat just isn’t appetizing.
Best dishes to utilize Ground Beef 85/15 or any other leaner ground beef:
Ground sirloin is considered the leanest of conventional raised ground beef. What do I mean by conventionally raised beef? It means that it is grain fed and it is raised in confinement. Sirloin is from the mid-back region of the cow. This region is where some stellar cuts of steak reside, beef tenderloin or filet mignon, tri-tip and top sirloin. You might ask why we would grind nice steaks for ground beef? Two good reasons. One to utilize the choice trimmings from the sirloin but also to yield a very lean product.
As with the ground round, I would choose to use this very lean ground beef in preparations that are rich. It keeps them from becoming cloyingly rich.
*Earlier I made a point to stress that the higher fat percentage in your ground beef the more quickly it will cook. The opposite would be true of leaner cuts, the leaner the meat, the slower it cooks and the more susceptible it is to drying out for lack of fat and length of cooking time. Be very mindful of cooking times and utilize a good instant read thermometer to make sure your beef is cooked perfectly.
You would also use ground sirloin 90/10 for the same list of foods as ground beef 85/15:
Ground beef is sometimes made very carefully by completely trimming the beef to a lean state and then adding the fat back into the grind. There are also butchers who do more of an eyeball approach and guess the ratio through their vast experience. What you largely need to know is a general idea of the lean-to fat ratio. Whatever type of ground beef you are using, use my notes above and you should have a pretty good idea of what to do with it. More fat means it will cook more quickly, it can be used where economy is important and or for those who prefer an ultra-juicy and rich result. Remember you can always drain excess fat off of any product to lower the fat percentage, either for health reasons for a leaner end result. If the ground beef is very lean, be careful not to overcook it since can tend to dry out easily.
Then there is ground beef that may be prepacked and frozen by the rancher. Grass fed, Heirloom and Wagyu ground beef are readily available these days. I am seeing new varieties and blends all the time and since these products do not always state the lean meat to fat ratio, it can cause confusion. So, in that case, what do you do?
Leah’s blog has tons of great info on grass fed beef nutritional content if you are looking for some juicy information on its health benefits. As far as cooking grass fed beef, know that traditionally grass fed beef is very lean 7-10% fat so treat it as you would ground sirloin 90/10. If you see grass fat beef with a higher fat ratio listed, treat it in the same way I have indicated for other types of ground beef.
We are lucky enough to have a special hands-on Grass Fed Beef 101 class with Driftless Prairie Meats and Market coming up on Wednesday, October 16 at 6pm where you can meet the local farmer, learn about and taste the wonderful and healthful beef they raise. In addition, you will learn the skills and knowledge to successfully cook some underutilized, yet topnotch cuts!
I hope this information helps arm you to conquer the ground beef isle at your local market or to brave some new and exciting ground beef products as they become available in your area. Don't miss our hands-on Grass Fed Beef 101 class in October to really get up to speed on all things beef!