Easy Recipes For Ground Beef
There are literally thousands of easy recipes for
ground beef.
Today, I want to explore this meat and review some tips, tricks, and of
course a few of my favorite easy recipes for ground beef.
Meat Quality
Some
people might argue that there is no such thing as high quality ground
beef, but I beg to differ. The highest quality ground beef is ground
steak. This is a little more pricey, but does offer a better taste and
less fat. Regular hamburger meat with a low fat content is usually best
for most easy recipes for ground beef. Pay particular attention to the
fat content in dishes such as meatloaf where the dish is not easily
drained.
When you buy hamburger meat, don't just look at
the
price tag; look at how much meat you're actually buying. For example,
80/20 hamburger meat is 80% meat and 20% fat. Most of the fat will be
discarded anyways so take that into consideration. So, if you have the
choice between the 80/20 and 90/10 and the 90/10 is only a few cents
more, it might actually be a better deal. You very well could be buying
more meat with your money, and getting a higher quality meat at the
same time.
Cooking Ground Beef
It is very
important that ground beef be handled correctly and cooked thoroughly.
Unlike a steak, which you may order rare or medium rare at your local
restaurant; ground beef is different. This is because every surface on
beef that has been exposed to air needs to be properly cooked so it
doesn't make you sick. Therefore, it is fine to leave a steak partially
raw (rare) in the middle. But, with ground beef, all of the meat has
been exposed and needs to be cooked thoroughly. If you have any
questions, use a meat thermometer (only $5 at Wal-Mart) to make sure
that the center has reached an internal temperature of 160° F.
Many
recipes call for you to brown hamburger. The traditional way to do this
is to place the raw meat in a frying pan on medium to medium high heat
and stir often with a spoon or spatula (you may also add a chopped
onion or spices as you please). As you stir make sure you break up
chunks and scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't
burn. It is done when all meat has turned from pink to brown.
The
other way to "brown" hamburger is to add a little water and boil it.
Boiling has three advantages. First, this it is a great way to make it
less greasy. When you drain the water off, most of the grease will go
with it (if you drain it into the sink, make sure you run the hot water
for a while so the grease doesn't solidify and clog your drain!).
Second, it helps to break the meat apart. Third, you don't have to stir
it as often and it is harder to burn. This method works great for
casseroles, lasagna, or other easy recipes for ground beef that call
for browned hamburger.
For specific instructions on cooking individual
dishes such as hamburgers, see the recipes below.
Storage
Always
keep hamburger meat refrigerated. I find the easiest thing to do is buy
it when it is on sale, then freeze it. It will last for months in the
freezer. When you need to use it, you can simply defrost it using one
of the following methods...
• Use the defrost mode on your microwave
• Put it in the refrigerator over night to defrost
•
Simply brown the frozen ground beef. Place the frozen meat in a frying
pan and keep turning the frozen block over and scraping off the cooked
meat until it is all cooked.
If you want even more convenience,
buy ground beef in bulk, brown your ground beef, and then freeze it in
serving size Ziploc bags. When you're ready to use it, pop a bag into
the microwave to heat it up. Then, throw it into your favorite easy
recipes for ground beef.
Easy Recipes For Ground Beef
• Meatloaf:
This meatloaf recipe is good enough that I serve it when we have
company over. They are usually pleasantly surprised and ask for the
recipe!
• Sloppy
Joes: How can you go wrong with sloppy joes. Everybody loves
them.
• Hamburgers:
Whether you like the 100% beef, or you like the home style recipes with
lots of added extras, you'll find directions here to suit your needs.
• American
Style Tacos: This is a classic American style taco recipe.
This makes a fantastic, fast, and easy meal.
• Taco
Ring: This classy taco ring has a great taco flavor, with a
twist.
• California
Combo Casserole:
This casserole has a ground beef and tomato base. On top of that it
features egg noodles coated with a sour cream and cream cheese mixture
and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese to top it off.
• Tater
Tot Casserole:
this recipe is great if you need a good home cooked meal with very
little preparation (especially if you use my tips on freezing browned
hamburger).
• Sheepherders
Casserole (Shepherd's Pie): This classic recipe is a great
way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.
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