Healthier Hamburger... Boiled?

[gadzooks]

In fact, when I grind beef for burgers, if it is especially lean, I add olive oil to the meat and mix it then regrind, so it doesn't dry during grilling.

[archiduc]

Originally Posted by GrillingFool

I used to work at a little Italian restaurant.
The cook BOILED the hamburger she used in her
lasagna, spaghetti and other dishes.
She said it was healthier because almost all of the
fat is removed, and since she added spices and some
beef bullion, flavor was retained.

Does anyone here boil their hamburger instead of browning it?

Do you think it would be significantly lower in fat?

Hi Grillingfool,
I feel as though I`ve just entered another universe!
Boil the hamburger to make lasagne, spaghetti and other dishes? Oh no, no , no! Maybe, it`s because I live on the other side of the pond!

I would use mince/ground beef and sauté in a hot pan. Given the natural fat content of the meat and the desire to achieve a Maillard reaction of the beef proteins and natural sugars as they are browned, one does not need any additional fat, merely a hot pan, a fork and an agile hand to break up the meat as it browns. The browned meat is then added to the tomato base/salsa Napoletana and the ragu simmered for a couple of hours - and I do mean hours! Any fat on the surface can be removed by using a spoon or paper kitchen towels on the finished sauce.

Boiling the meat and then adding bouillon and spices simply adds to the cost for a restaurant by complicating the process and incurring costs for additional and, IMHO, unnecessary ingredients.

All the best,
Archiduc (slinking back to my universe )

[mcnerd]

Yup, strange universe. With all the social screaming for healthier food on the menu, a restaurant actually does it, and people scream that they do such a horrible thing.

Next thing you know, people will be complaining that plastic bags and plastic water bottles are no longer good for the environment.

[Sedagive]

I've never heard of boiling hamburger before but I have steamed burgers and they were still very flavorful and I would guess lower in fat.

[mcnerd]

You don't boil Hamburgers. People boil ground beef to be used in dishes that use ground beef. You can either rinse normally cooked ground beef to remove the grease or actually cook it in boiling water from the beginning. The latter is used when large quantities of GB are being cooked.