Ground beef
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Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is
It is not the same as mincemeat, which is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits, spices and historically (but present day rare) minced/ground meat.[1]
Contents
In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can contain. For example, in the United States, beef fat may be added to hamburger but not to ground beef if the meat is ground and packaged at a USDA-inspected plant.[note 1] In the U.S., a maximum of 30% fat by weight is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. The allowable amount in France is 5 to 20% (15% being used by most food chains). In Germany, regular ground beef may contain up to 15% fat while the special "Tatar" for steak tartare may contain less than 5% fat. Both hamburger and ground beef can have added seasoning, phosphate, extenders, or binders added, but no additional water is permitted. Ground beef is often marketed in a range of different fat contents to match the preferences of customers.
Ground beef is generally made from the less tender and less popular cuts of beef. Trimmings from tender cuts may also be used.[2]
In a study in the U.S. in 2008, eight brands of fast food hamburgers were evaluated for recognizable tissue types using
- Water: 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%)
- Muscle: 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%)
- Skeletal tissue: "Bone and cartilage, observed in some brands, were not expected; their presence may be related to the use of mechanical separation in the processing of the meat from the animal. Small amounts of bone and cartilage may have been detached during the separation process."
- Connective tissue
- Blood vessels
- Peripheral nerve tissue. Brain tissue was not detected in any of the samples.
- Adipose tissue—"The amount of lipid observed was considerable and was seen in both adipose tissue and as lipid droplets. Lipid content on oil-red-O staining was graded as 1+ (moderate) in 6 burgers and 2+ (marked) in 2 burgers."
- Plant material: "was likely added as a filler to give bulk to the burger"
"Pink slime"
Ground beef in the United States may contain a meat-based product used as a food additive produced using technology known as
In government and industry records in testing for the United States'
Cuts of beef
Although any cut of beef can be used to produce ground beef, chuck steak is a popular choice because of its rich flavor and meat-to-fat ratio. Round steak is also often used. In the United States, ground beef is usually categorized based on the cut and fat percentage:[6]
- Chuck: 78–84% lean
- Round: 85–89% lean
- Sirloin: 90–95% lean
Culinary use
Ground beef is popular as a relatively cheap and quick-cooking form of beef. Some of its best-known uses are in hamburgers, sausages and cottage pie. It is an important ingredient in meatloaf, sloppy joes, meatballs, and tacos.[7] It can be used to make meat sauces, for example, lasagna and spaghetti bolognese in Italian cuisine. In the Middle East, it is used to make spicy kofta and meatballs. The Scottish dish 'mince and tatties" uses it with mashed or boiled potatoes. In Lancashire, particularly Oldham, minced meat is a common filling for rag pudding. The Dutch slavink consists of ground meat (half beef, half pork) rolled in bacon.
Raw, lean, ground beef is used to make
Food safety
Food safety of ground meat is problematic; bacterial contamination occurs frequently. Undercooked hamburgers contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 were responsible for four deaths in the U.S. in 1993 and hundreds of people fell ill.[8] Ground beef must be cooked to 72 °C (160 °F) to ensure all bacterial contamination—whether it be endogenous to the product or contaminated after purchasing by the consumer—is killed. The color of cooked meat does not always indicate the beef has reached the required temperature; beef can brown before reaching 68 °C (155 °F).[9]
To ensure the safety of food distributed through the
The 2013 horse meat scandal found traces of horsemeat in many UK and European foods and ready meals which were labelled as being minced/ground beef products mostly.
See also
Notes
- ^ These rules only apply to meat being sold across state lines. In the U.S., much ground beef is produced at local grocery stores and is not sold across state lines. In these cases, the laws of the local state apply; state laws may have different requirements.
References
- ^ Jaron (January 12, 2021). "Minced Meat Vs Ground Meat – What's The Difference?". Foods Guy. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ "Ground Beef and Food Safety". Fsis.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. August 6, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- PMID 18995204. Archived from the original(PDF) on December 10, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ "Temperature Rules! - Cooking for Food Service" (PDF). Fsis.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. October 12, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f g Moss, Michael (December 31, 2009). "Safety of Beef Processing Method Is Questioned". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ^ "Ground Beef Category Breakdown". BeefRetail.org. National Cattlemen's Beef Association. July 18, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Foods and Nutrition: Ground Beef" (PDF). Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.
- The University of Oklahoma. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ "FSIS Directive - Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poulty, and Egg Products" (PDF). Fns.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. March 9, 2010. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "An Evaluation of the Food Safety Requirements of the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program". Dels.nas.edu. National Academy of Sciences, Division on Earth and Life Studies. 2010. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2015.