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.
I love to cook, but I personally prefer to cook more complicated or healthy foods at home. I find I am often disappointed with more complex dish preparations and lack of healthy and tasty options in restaurants. Burgers are not that thrilling for me to cook, and most restaurants can muster up a decent burger so I feel like it is a safe bet and a real treat. I’m an outlier on this front; most people I know love to cook burgers at home, especially in the summer when they fire up their grills.
Ground beef is an incredibly popular protein source in the United States, not just because of burgers but because it is so versatile. Meatloaf, meatballs, tacos, Bolognese sauce and casseroles are all wildly popular dishes often featuring ground beef. So popular in fact, that 475 million pounds of ground beef are sold annually in this country. Price is another reason for its popularity. I hesitate to say ground beef is inexpensive, considering the current price per pound is averaging about $5.21 but compared to other cuts of beef, it is certainly one of the least expensive.
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.
I would be remiss not to give you an overview of what ground beef is. I think it is somewhat obvious to say that ground beef is just that, primal cuts of beef that are put through a meat grinder, and on that level, all ground beef is the same. Grinding beef is a wonderful way to tenderize more tough cuts of meat but also to utilize all the trimmings of beef left after the steaks, roasts and loins are cut. I would not consider these lesser cuts simply trimmings, and with all due respect to the cow, we should utilize every bit of the animal. What varies in different ground beef, sometimes referred to as hamburger, is the fat to lean meat ratio, whether the beef used is all of the same cut of beef or a blend of beef from different parts of the cow and the method the animal was raised by.
See below for the breakdowns in the different ground beef varieties.
Ground Beef 70/30): The budget conscience option
Whenever you see a label that says “ground beef” and nothing else to indicate what type of beef is used, it indicates that the beef that was ground came from different parts of the cow, largely, chuck, sirloin and round. Sometimes ground beef can be labeled as hamburger as well.
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.
Best dishes to utilize Ground beef 70/30 or any other higher fat percentage ground beef:
- Juicy burgers, especially on the grill where that fat can more easily render out. Fatty beef like this will spatter a lot on the stove so cooking outside is nice for that too.
- Meatballs
- Meatloaf
- Stuffed green peppers
- Stuffed cabbage
Ground Chuck 80/20: Best for all around uses
Besides ground beef or hamburger, all other ground beef will indicate the cut of beef used. In this case, we know that 80% of what is in this package is lean chuck and 20% is fat. Chuck includes the neck and shoulder region; these tougher cuts are great for grinding and have a ton of flavor. Containing 20% fat we still have a good amount of fat to offer a good juicy mouthfeel to our recipes. If you simply want less fat in your recipe, you can use ground chuck in the same places you would use ground beef 70/30.
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:
- Burgers
- Meatballs
- Meat loaf
- Tacos or taco salad
- Sloppy Joes
- Bolognese sauce
- Cottage Pie
- Chili
Ground Round 85/15
The round portion of the cow is from the rump, hips, hind legs and knees. Grinding the tougher cuts of beef is a perfect way to utilize this section of the cow. Ground round as you now know, is lower in fat than ground chuck by 5%. What we can also ascertain is than you will start to see a less juicy and rich result in your recipes utilizing 85/15 ground round. The tradeoff for a more healthful recipe is not so much less flavor but rather a sacrifice in the texture. Lower fat percentages yield a tougher denser and less juicy texture. However, many people become accustomed to leaner cuts of meat and prefer the leaner texture and taste.
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:
- Cheesy hamburger-type casseroles
- Lasagna
- Tater tot casseroles
- Quesadillas
- Empanadas
- Salisbury steak
- Tamale pie
- Swedish meatballs
Ground Sirloin 90/10
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:
- Cheesy hamburger-type casseroles
- Lasagna
- Tater tot casseroles
- Quesadillas
- Empanadas
- Salisbury Steak
- Tamale pie
- Swedish meatballs
One other thing I want to mention is that butchering is ultimately at the discretion of the butcher. It would not be unusual to see different lean to fat ratios and specialty cuts of beef used for ground beef at your local market. There are regional differences and butcher’s preferences that can lead them to make any number of different types of ground beef. A butcher can easily add additional fat to any grind and sometimes can reduce it at their discretion.
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?
Grass Fed Beef
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!
Heirloom Beef
What is heirloom beef? Or heritage beef? It is cattle that is raised in an environment utilizing regenerative practices. These practices improve the quality of both the soil and the health and nutrition of the animal. Heirloom ranchers are often concerned with preserving breeds of cattle not prized by large scale producers, both for the quality of the meat and to support biodiversity. Most frequently heirloom beef is also grass fed beef. At large, I treat any locally raised beef on a small ranch as I would lean sirloin 90/10.
Ground Wagyu or other High Fat Beef
Wagyu is a Japanese brand of cow that is prized for its tenderness and intramuscular fat or marbling. Because of its increasing popularity in the United States, we are now starting to see ground Wagyu pop up in stores everywhere. This particular type of ground beef offers a very high percentage of fat since the fat is intramuscular, it cannot be completely trimmed, and why would you want to? The fat is the point!. I treat Wagyu or other rich cuts like ground prime rib or short rib as I would ground beef 80/20.
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!
