Can fatty ground beef be turned into lean?

Options
2»

Replies

  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    Options
    look at a package of regular ground beef and one that is 93/7. See all that white stuff in the regular? That is fat. You can't rinse it away. You'd have to cook it until the fat became cracklings before all the fat was out.

    There are always ignorant people who think a comfort food dish like beans and toast is beneath them. Too bad they miss out on the good things to eat and be healthy. Probably would rather have a nice greasy fast food cheeseburger or breakfast sandwich.
  • maca416
    maca416 Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    lol, im not taking any cooking tips from brits

    beans_on_toast.jpg

    No your right, we took cooking tips from you Yanks & then watched the obesity levels rise here in the UK.

    Best stick with beans on toast methinks & marmite on toast much healthier than a Big Mac & Frys ;)
  • jojo86xdd
    jojo86xdd Posts: 202 Member
    Options
    Three Words: George Foreman Grill (the mini one). You wont have to worry about that...
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Options
    NO
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Options
    I am so not hungry right now : (

    Yeah... just buy whatever leanness you are aiming for, save yourself some trouble and don't waste good meat fat. Or don't buy beef at all if you are worried about fat.
  • SmallestGoal
    SmallestGoal Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    OP: Yes, you're right. You're cutting out a lot of fat by rinsing. I'm squarely on your side with this -- you don't have to always pass up the higher fat beef that's on a great sale.

    The link to some good info was posted above, but to pull out the relevant bits:

    100g of 20% fat ground beef has 20g fat when raw, 11g fat when pan fried as a patty and blotted, 9g fat when pan fried as crumbles and blotted, and 4g fat when the blotted crumbles are rinsed with hot water.

    Study is from Iowa State University in 1992. http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Reducing Fat in Ground Beef.pdf

    Frankly, I'd rate a George Foreman Grill's efficacy closer to blotting than rinsing. It's only letting the fat drain away, not actually rinsing it away with the hot water (no, the fat doesn't dissolve in the water, but the pressure and flow of the water pulls more fat away from the meat than just gravity).
  • lannabelle
    lannabelle Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    To the OP, I hardly ever buy regular ground beef, even though I would save money doing so. I buy the extra-lean. If I were to buy the regular, I would count it as such. I'd rather be conservative and log too many calories than not enough.

    I've also never rinsed meat, I've always thought it sounded like a way to add extra work when I'm already tired after working all day and I probably wouldn't like the taste of it anyway. I don't add oil to the pan and then let it drain on some paper towels. Even with extra-lean ground beef, a surprising amount of grease is absorbed into the paper towel.
  • lannabelle
    lannabelle Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    lol, im not taking any cooking tips from brits

    beans_on_toast.jpg

    No your right, we took cooking tips from you Yanks & then watched the obesity levels rise here in the UK.

    Best stick with beans on toast methinks & marmite on toast much healthier than a Big Mac & Frys ;)


    I'd eat that :) Also, looking at it is making me crave one of my favourite comfort foods - Zoodles on toast. Yum! Making me rethink the grilled chicken breast and greek salad I had planned for dinner.
  • AlistairBernardNormal
    AlistairBernardNormal Posts: 989 Member
    Options
    I preface this with honesty – I didn’t read all of the posts, so someone may have said this.

    If you’re paying for 85/15 or 75/25, that means 15-25% of the meat you’re paying for is fat. When you cook it in a frying pan, you’re losing 15-25% of what you’ve paid for. If you buy 95/5, 95 cents of each dollar you spend is on actual meat that you will consume.

    From an economic standpoint, it makes much more sense to pay the little bit more for 95/5, and then you don’t have to worry about rinsing or anything!
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
    Options
    Posts like is make me want to cry.

    Don't rinse your beef. Why take all the delicious flavor (psst, a little secret, FAT is what gives things flavor. Don't believe me, go ask an expert http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/julia-child-quotes-0601)

    Fat gives things flavor. - Julia Child

    I'm awfully sorry for people who are taken in by all of today's dietary mumbo jumbo. They are not getting any enjoyment out of their food. - Julia Child

    No use ruining perfectly good beef by rinsing it off, please, for the love of all that is tasty!
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,631 Member
    Options
    Posts like is make me want to cry.

    Don't rinse your beef. Why take all the delicious flavor (psst, a little secret, FAT is what gives things flavor. Don't believe me, go ask an expert http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/julia-child-quotes-0601)

    Fat gives things flavor. - Julia Child

    I'm awfully sorry for people who are taken in by all of today's dietary mumbo jumbo. They are not getting any enjoyment out of their food. - Julia Child

    No use ruining perfectly good beef by rinsing it off, please, for the love of all that is tasty!

    Julia Child says people are not getting enjoyment out of their food?

    Well fancy that, Julia Child knows how we all feel and is telling us so.

    Who is Julia Child btw?

    I like being told how I feel - not.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
    Options
    Washed meat just sounds soooo gross. :sick: Plus I really don't think you can just wash away the fat. I'm buying the lower fat meat and not cheating in my food log to pretend I did when I didn't. How do you know exactly how many calories you washed away anyway?
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Options
    I preface this with honesty – I didn’t read all of the posts, so someone may have said this.

    If you’re paying for 85/15 or 75/25, that means 15-25% of the meat you’re paying for is fat. When you cook it in a frying pan, you’re losing 15-25% of what you’ve paid for. If you buy 95/5, 95 cents of each dollar you spend is on actual meat that you will consume.

    From an economic standpoint, it makes much more sense to pay the little bit more for 95/5, and then you don’t have to worry about rinsing or anything!

    Not to mention that it's only cheaper if your time is worthless.
  • teacuplady
    teacuplady Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    If I'm making tacos I boil my hamburger, rinse it, dice it up, add spices and steam any excess moisture from it. I like it because it's nice and moist and spicy. I don't worry about trying to make it lean for logging purposes but I admit I don't miss the fat at all. Obviously I don't do that for any other hamburger recipe like patties, lol. To me it's no more work than spending time draining and blotting. I know fat isn't evil but hamburger fat, to me has no redeeming flavor. Now bacon fat for seasoning or butter is a different story. I'd rather "spend" my fat on that or for extra cheese on my tacos. :wink:
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Options
    My husband cooks burgers by putting them on a grid that you use for cooling cookies and putting them under the broiler. All the fat drips to the bottom and away from the meat.
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    Options
    ...I know fat isn't evil but hamburger fat, to me has no redeeming flavor. Now bacon fat for seasoning or butter is a different story. I'd rather "spend" my fat on that or for extra cheese...

    ^^^This and I second this:

    http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Reducing Fat in Ground Beef.pdf

Categories