Burger Meat?

[mugsy27]

what kind of meat do u all use for your burgers??

i used to use ground sirloin with as little fat as i could find (i for some reason thought this was less risky in regards to mad cow disease, and chuncks of grizzle).

i have been *educated* that my precausions will not help in this area.

so, what kind of beef do u all buy, and what % of fat content do u find best?!?

t.i.a.!!

 

[jennyema]

Chuck because it tastes better than sirloin, IMO. Usually 80-85% lean.

If you are worried about mad cow, you're better off grinding your own meat. Just buy a chunk of sirloin, chuck or whatever -- not on the bone -- and grind it in a food processor.

 

[GB]

Like Jenny, I get chuck. Usually 75-85%

 

[Alix]

Mad cow shmad cow, just don't eat the spinal column or the brains and you will be fine.

I buy lean beef and I can't tell you what % fat it is because it is 4H beef. I CAN tell you that it is so lean I frequently need to put some olive oil in the pan so the meat doesn't burn.

Depending on what I am using the ground meat for, sometimes I will add some ground pork to the mix for some flavour.

 

[HappyAvocado]

well, as for BSE(mad-cow), you can take precautions by only buying beef that is labeled "grass fed"... these cows are fed a species appropriate vegetarian diet. grass fed beef is actually better for you because it contains much higher levels of omega-3, not to mention much higher levels of vitamins A and E. myself, i buy only grass-fed beef. for burgers, i like a higher fat content... i usually buy 85 or 90% lean for burgers, 95% lean for everything else.

 

[Sandyj]

I've never seen the meat labelled "grass fed" at my local supermarket (northern NJ). Where would this be most commonly available?

 

[mugsy27]

thanx for the info guys.

as for grass fed beef...do supermakets such as giant & safeway carry this? i dont recall seeing it anywhere.

 

[HappyAvocado]

do supermakets such as giant & safeway carry this? i dont recall seeing it anywhere.

hmmm, i dont think so. we have safeway here and they sure dont carry it. i buy my meat from one of several local butchers, or from Whole Foods (health food store). Trader Joes is a good place to look if you have one of those, my Trader Joes carries two different kinds of grass fed beef.

 

[jennyema]

I've never seen the meat labelled "grass fed" at my local supermarket (northern NJ). Where would this be most commonly available?

Whole Foods, etc.

Maybe some high end supermarkets.

 

[mugsy27]

how does this beef taste? is it just like normal, or does it "taste like chicken"??

 

[HappyAvocado]

how does this beef taste? is it just like normal, or does it "taste like chicken"??

i find grass fed beef to be very similair.. maybe a little bit gamier. the thing is, most producers of grass fed beef work on a much smaller scale than those of "conventionally farmed" beef, so the meat is usually of a high quality.

smaller farms= more attention to detail.

 

[Ishbel]

I only buy organic meats, which means that if they are not fully grass fed, then any cattle-cake etc has to be from a recognised, organic source.

 

[luvs]

i use beef w/ a higher % of fat to keep the burger moist.

 

[Constance]

I like ground chuck...you need a little fat to make them taste good. In fact, plain hamburger is fine on the grill, as the fat drips off anyway.