Thanks to These Creative Ground-Beef Recipes, You'll Never Repeat Dinners (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking ground beef? ›

Baking soda acts as a tenderizer for ground beef, keeps it moist during cooking, and encourages deep browning by raising the acidity level of the surface of the meat. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 pound of ground beef for more tender meat with better browning.

Impossible Beef cooks and handles like 80/20 ground beef 1 and yields up to 28% more cooked product 2 . Working with Impossible Beef from a cold, refrigerated state is recommended for best performance.

Culinary professionals know that a small amount of vinegar makes food taste bright and fresh. Too much, however, may make the food unpleasantly sour. First and foremost, vinegar is used as a tenderizer for meat and poultry. It may be added as an injected marinade in very tough proteins or applied via a soak or rub.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

Plant-based beef alternatives are more expensive than beef because of production costs. Even though the plant-based beef industry uses less grain to create its products than what gets used for livestock feed, the scale is much smaller. This leads to higher costs, which get passed to consumers.

In terms of nutrition, the Impossible Burger is a good source of protein and fiber, and is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol compared to traditional beef. However, it is higher in sodium, calories, and fat than some other plant-based burger options.

Heme is found in a protein called hemoglobin that is found in every living plant and animal, and is something we've been eating since the dawn of humanity. This ingredient not only makes Impossible Burgers taste like meat, but helps them stay juicy, moist, and slightly red at the center.

Nevertheless, you should throw away ground beef if it has turned either brown or gray on the outside, as this indicates that it's beginning to rot. Additionally, mold can spoil cooked ground beef, so you should toss your leftovers if you notice any fuzzy blue, grey, or green spots.

Do you drain the fat after cooking ground beef? ›

Draining the grease from ground beef will make a dish healthier and is usually recommended. Brown the meat first to extract the fat. Then, you can spoon the grease out of the pan or use a colander to drain the grease. It is important you do not discard the hot grease down a drain as it can cause damage to the drain.

Season the Ground Beef

When it comes to seasoning your ground beef, wait until after it has been browned and drained. Adding salt to raw ground beef pulls out moisture, drying the meat out and creating steam while it cooks, which prevents it from browning properly.

Ground beef can be frozen indefinitely, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, it is recommended to use ground beef within four months of freezing, as the quality of the meat will begin to deteriorate over time. Ground beef that has been frozen for too long may not be as flavorful.

This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage. Beef that has turned brown during extended storage may be spoiled, have an off-odor, and be tacky to the touch and should not be used.

“Don't eat food past the expiration date,” advises Dr. Craggs-Dino. “If you aren't going to be able to use it by that date, freeze it. Your ground beef will keep in the freezer for about four months.”

Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor. Add vegetables: Finely chop vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers and add them to the ground beef while it cooks.

The less fat there is, the more flavor there is to the cooked beef. If I'm making hamburgers, I mince up some onion and add that, with a little bit of breadcrumbs to retain some of the fat/flavor. Adds whatever condiments. Ground beef cooked and then added to spaghetti sauce soaks up the flavor itself.

It's milk. Here's why:

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

Much of the herbs and spices will drain away along with the grease, leaving your ground beef underseasoned. Once your ground beef has been cooked and drained, it can be seasoned with almost anything.