03, 2024
Ready for a more flavorful addition to your recipes?
Learn how to cook ground beef the right way with our step-by-step guide.
Many recipes begin by telling readers to brown the ground beef, but dont explainhow.
Yesbut there are still ways it can go wrong.
For larger amounts of meat, use a large skillet or brown the meat in batches.
Allow the pan to get hot.
Tear theground beefinto chunks and add to the hot pan in a single layer.
Let the beef cook without moving it for the first 5 minutes.
The beef will begin to brown and develop color along the bottom.
Use a wooden spoon to break up the larger chunks of beef and gently move the beef around.
You dont want to overwork the meat; just move it enough to brown it evenly.
If the bottom is getting too dark, turn the heat down to medium.
Cook the beef a few minutes more until its browned and no pink color remains.
(Never pour grease down the drain!
Then spoon it into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
(Learnhow to tell if ground beef is bad.)
To freeze it, put the cooked-and-cooled beef in a freezer-safe zip-close bag and press out all the air.
Keep it frozen for up to 3 months.
To cook the meat evenly and prevent steaming, break up the meat before it goes into the pan.
As it heats up, the meat begins to steam, which makes it look dull or gray.
The goal is to brownas in searthe meat, and to do this the pan needs to be hot.
So see to it your skillet is hot before you add the ground beef!
However, for moist and flavorful meat, keep a tablespoon or two of that fat in.
Stir it through your browned beef.
Youll still be removing most of the fat while stillprotecting the meat from drying out.
Drain the rest of the grease into a heat-proof container.
Once it solidifies, scrape it into your trash.
(Some municipal compost programs may accept grease, but dont put it in yourbackyard compost.)
The same goes for other seasonings, but for a different reason.
Much of the herbs and spices will drain away along with the grease, leaving your ground beef underseasoned.
Once your ground beef has been cooked and drained, it can be seasoned with almost anything.
It just depends what youre planning on making with the beef.
For more inspiration, check out our favoriteground beef recipesof the past year.
Dont Rinse Beef!
The user claimed it was a technique learned in a nutrition class, but you definitely shouldnotrinsebrowned ground beef.
For one, grease and fats should never be poured down the sink drain.
The grease can solidify in the pipes, creating clogs and a huge mess in sewers and septic systems.
Those in a time pinch will love thesequick and easy ground beef recipesinstead.
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