Ground beef: something different

[Sedagive]

I've been very unhappy with the taste of the ground beef I've been making. I use chuck and sirloin but there doesn't seem to be much flavor. Maybe my tastebuds don't work as well as they used to. I've been thinking of grinding skirt steak and maybe flap meat to see if they can give me that beefy flavor. I don't like to add much to ground beef other than salt and pepper. Has anyone tried either of these cuts for burgers? I'm also going to try brisket (point cut).

Sedagive.

 

[Andy M.]

Is your grind very lean? Keep in mind that fat is a major flavor contributor to the taste of a burger.

 

[Maverick2272]

I don't do my own grinding, be everyone here, like Andy, emphasizes the fat for taste and that with too little you loose a lot of the flavor. I know with what I pick up at the butchers I prefer at least 20%, 15% or less is a little too lean for me but I can still live with 15%.

 

[Sedagive]

Is your grind very lean? Keep in mind that fat is a major flavor contributor to the taste of a burger.

I always have at least 20% fat, so I don't think that's the problem. Maybe go up to 25%?

 

[miniman]

It is also worth checking the source of your meat - I find supermarket meat (often underhung) is much less flavourful, then I get from the local farm shop. The prices are even comparable. In fact, he sells his offcut as ground meat at a very cheap price & the flavour is great.

 

[DramaQueen]

SEDAGIVE: (I love that screen name) I have a KitchenAid stand mixer with the meat grinding attachment. I grind my own pork and beef and I always use chuck roast for grinding. Try buying chuck from a meat market instead of a grocery or discount store. Very often the discounters use "Select" grade instead of "Choice." The fat really does make a difference too.

 

[Andy M.]

I always have at least 20% fat, so I don't think that's the problem. Maybe go up to 25%?

I don't think you have to go to 25%. I would recommend between 15% and 20%. As DQ said, chuck is a flavorful cut with good fat %age to grind.

Are you using a meat grinder or a food processor? Is the grind fine enough compared to store ground?

 

[Dave Hutchins]

I thought brisket would be good ground beef no never happen it was hard to chew even after I had ground it twice. Stick to chuck and try for a 80/20 grind

 

[Sedagive]

I don't think you have to go to 25%. I would recommend between 15% and 20%. As DQ said, chuck is a flavorful cut with good fat %age to grind.

Are you using a meat grinder or a food processor? Is the grind fine enough compared to store ground?

A meat grinder, and I run it through twice. It comes out looking just like the ground beef in the photos that Ask-A-Butcher posted in his thread on grinding beef. I think I'm going to try going to a meat market instead of the grocery store and see if that makes a difference. I'm also thinking of trying prime grade chuck to see if that helps.

 

[Dina]

Brown it with some chopped onions, some minced garlic, add ground ancho pepper, ground New Mexican pepper or pasilla pepper, a hint of ground chipotle pepper, paprika, cumin, some beef bouillon or beef stock ~ cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Toss it over some warm corn tortillas topped with a blend of your favorite cheeses, repeat the process until all meat is used ~ you have an awsome enchilada lasagna! Enjoy! You can also use ground beef concoction in tacos, tamales, chimichangas, burritos, Mexican albondigas (meatballs), etc.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I thought brisket would be good ground beef no never happen it was hard to chew even after I had ground it twice. Stick to chuck and try for a 80/20 grind

Yes! ....and I personally would not spend the money for "Prime" grade chuck for grinding...."Choice" will do nicely.

Have Fun & Enjoy!

 

[DramaQueen]

Prime grade beef is not available to supermarkets and meat markets. It is reserved for fine dining restaurants.

Last night's news gave us another reason to grind our own beef and this is one of the major reasons I do. There is yet another recall of ground beef due to e-coli. It never ends.

 

[attie]

I to grind my own beef for the reason that DramaQueen says, quality control. Our major supermarkets tend to use a lot of yearling beef which might be reasonably tender but has little flavour so I'm wondering if that may be the problem

 

[Sedagive]

Prime grade beef is not available to supermarkets and meat markets. It is reserved for fine dining restaurants.

Last night's news gave us another reason to grind our own beef and this is one of the major reasons I do. There is yet another recall of ground beef due to e-coli. It never ends.

That's not exactly true. Gelson's and Bristol Farms here in southern California both carry prime grade beef.

 

[Mama]

You can buy prime grade beef online also.

 

[DramaQueen]

That's not exactly true. Gelson's and Bristol Farms here in southern California both carry prime grade beef.

I called Bristol Farms and found that you were right on, although Prime grade is not widely available except from specialty markets. Highly special I would assume since they quoted me a price of $32.00 per pound for Porterhouse steak. Maybe that's why it's not so avialable elsewhere. So when you all go to a restuarant and you say their prices are way too high, now you know why. You want quality, you have to pay for it.

Me? I'm happy with choice grade at 12.00 per lb.

Now here's my peeve: Some markets lable their beef "choice" and sell it for 6 or 7 dollars per lb. If you push it and pin them down they admit that it is actually "select" quality. This happened to me recently at a national chain and it's hard to trust the industry when this happens. You don't know what the heck you're buying.

 

[Robo410]

try to find a "free range" farm. grass fed beef is so much more flavorful than produced corn fed. (I'm lucky, I got one five miles form where I work!) Or find a store that hangs some of their own meat for aging. We have an Italian market in town that does that. Much more taste in their meat.

15 to 20 % fat is right for tenderness, taste, and juiciness.

 

[Bigjim68]

If I remember correctly, selling USDA select beef as USDA choice is a violation of the law. Beef is graded by Government graders, stamped with that blue label. There are other arbitrary labels to be wary of, most notably, Angus, or a proprietary label, Edwards select, for example or, for that matter Kobe. I was in a restaurant last week that listed their top steak as american Kobe. IMO these are intended to mislead, and have no official standard. Also, the difference between low prime and high choice, and low choice and high select is a judgement call on the part of the grader. Having at least a basic knowledge of grading standards and cuts is a worthwhile skill.

 

[DramaQueen]

If I remember correctly, selling USDA select beef as USDA choice is a violation of the law. Beef is graded by Government graders, stamped with that blue label. There are other arbitrary labels to be wary of, most notably, Angus, or a proprietary label, Edwards select, for example or, for that matter Kobe. I was in a restaurant last week that listed their top steak as american Kobe. IMO these are intended to mislead, and have no official standard. Also, the difference between low prime and high choice, and low choice and high select is a judgement call on the part of the grader. Having at least a basic knowledge of grading standards and cuts is a worthwhile skill.

Right you are BigJim. There's a lot of word play out there.

 

[Andy M.]

I wouldn't spend extra to get prime meat for grinding into hamburger. Select grade should be as good ground into hamburg as choice or prime. For the most part, the factors that determine meat grades go out the window when you grind it up. You can't determine the grade of meat usd to make hamburg if you didn't see the original piece(s) used.

If you grind aged meats rather than non-aged, there will be a flavor difference. I would focus on flavoring the hamburg after you grind it rather than searching for a special piece of meat that will taste significantly better than the rest.