Ground Beef

Ground beef’s got a lot going for it — it’s fast and easy to cook, versatile and enjoyed by all. Is it any wonder that ground beef is the #1 Canadian meal-maker! And there‘s more to ground beef’s benefits – plain and simple, ground beef’s good for you! Here’s all you need to know to make dinner – made easy with Canadian Ground Beef!

Get Ready

Forever flexible, ground beef can be pan-fried for meat sauces and casseroles or shaped into burgers, meatballs and more.

COOK ground beef in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small chunks with cooking. Cook thoroughly, until browned throughout.
DRAIN.
ADD to pasta sauce or soups or use in chili, casserole, taco and soup recipes, seasoning to taste.

Watch

Common Cuts

Extra lean ground beef
Maximum fat content 10% (90% lean)

Lean ground beef
Maximum fat content 17% (83% lean)

Medium ground beef
Maximum fat content 23% (77% lean)

Regular ground beef
Maximum fat content 30% (70% lean)

Myth Buster

MYTH:

Ground beef has colour added to it – that is why it is purple in the centre of the pack but bright red on the surface.

TRUTH:

Ground beef is 100% beef with no additives, fillers or colours. As beef is exposed to oxygen, it naturally develops a red hue – so the meat at the surface of a package is bright red. The meat at the centre will turn red too once it’s opened up to the air.

Tips for Ground Beef

Cook’s Notes:

All ground beef comes designated as Extra Lean, Lean, Medium or Regular, based on the maximum fat content. This designation is the same for all ground meats: beef, turkey, veal, chicken, pork and lamb.

Ground beef types

EXTRA LEAN (10% maximum fat) great for flavour-packed recipes that you don’t drain after cooking. Use in meat loaf or cabbage rolls.
LEAN (17% maximum fat) Canada’s No. 1 grind is a good all-purpose choice. Use in all kinds of ground beef recipes.
MEDIUM (23% maximum fat)
REGULAR (30% maximum fat) use for grilling, broiling and drain to reduce fat before adding to your recipe. Use Medium in burgers and meatballs, and Regular or Medium in pasta sauces and casseroles.

Have you tried “Steak Experience” Ground Beef? Look for the names Sirloin, Chuck and Round on packages of ground beef. These names indicate that the ground beef is made from a single cut, not a mix. Ground Sirloin tastes like Sirloin Steak for example – it’s ground beef gone gourmet.
Refrigerate ground beef within 1 to 2 hours of purchase.
Refrigerate at 40° F (4° C) or lower, on bottom shelf to avoid dripping on to other foods.
Thaw in the fridge, allowing 12 to 15 hours per pound, OR thaw in the microwave, cooking immediately after thawing.
Cook all ground beef thoroughly to 160° F (71° C). Test temperatures with a digital read thermometer. Never eat ground beef raw.

Big Batch Beef

The Question of Colour

Contrary to popular belief, the colour of beef is not a reliable indicator of freshness. In its initial state, beef is a deep purple colour. As it is exposed to oxygen in the air, the pigment turns cherry red. That same beef can turn purple again if oxygen is removed. The perfect example is vacuum-packaged beef.

With certain packaging types, that initial cherry red pigment will begin to take on a slightly brown hue quite quickly. The meat is still fresh and safe to eat, but just not as bright a red as when it was first exposed to oxygen. The Best Before date is still the best way to know if your fresh beef needs to be prepared and eaten right away or frozen.

Some ground beef can be brownish in the centre. This is because the small amount of oxygen present in the centre gives the meat pigment a brownish hue. However, the meat remains fresh and safe to eat up to its Best Before date.

Cuts used with Ground Beef

Common Cuts | Ground Beef

Ground Beef Options

regular-ground-beef-canadian-beef
EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF
Maximum fat content 10% (90% lean)

regular-ground-beef-canadian-beef
LEAN GROUND BEEF
Maximum fat content 17% (83% lean)

regular-ground-beef-canadian-beef
MEDIUM GROUND BEEF
Maximum fat content 23% (77% lean)

regular-ground-beef-canadian-beef
REGULAR GROUND BEEF
Maximum fat content 30% (70% lean)

Ground Beef recipes:

Big Batch Tex-Mex Beef

Cook up convenience when you buy bulk packs of ground beef and stash mixture in the freeze. Use it in this fantastic Tex-Mex Beef Taco recipe or simply add a scoop to your favourite pasta sauce, chili or casserole. Dinner just got easier!

Muffin-Sized Pizza Beef Meat Loaves

The recipe for these little Muffin-Sized Pizza beef meat loaves are the perfect size and flavour for children’s meals – serve them with the Vegetable Sauce and some pasta to complete the meal.

Beef Koftas

Serve Koftas as a main course or make smaller to serve as appetizers. Good made with smoked paprika too. Can be shaped into meatballs or sliders if you like. Serve with warmed pita and a dipping sauce such as yogourt with chopped mint and a bit of ground cumin stirred in.

Mini Beef Burgers and Warm Greek Sandwiches

Here's how to get a simple kid's meal and a more adventurous parent-meal from one basic recipe. Make up a flavourful ground beef base mixture and then split the batch in two — use one half for kid-friendly Mini beef Burgers and the other half to make Warm Greek Sandwiches. While the beef burgers cook, the sandwiches are quickly pulled together.

Classic Beef Meat Loaf with Pepper Jelly Glaze

When it comes to comfort food, meat loaf is the perfect definition! It doesn't have to be fussy, but can take on some interesting twists with just a few embellishments. The key to good meat loaf is one that is moist and tender. Follow the basic recipe in our Step-by-Step Lessons to make our best meat loaf: Classic Meat Loaf with Pepper Jelly Glaze (as pictured). Marvellous meat loaf can be lean when made from lean or extra lean ground beef. Add finely shredded carrot and milk-soaked fresh bread crumbs to the meat loaf mix before cooking. These little secrets keep meat loaves moist and tender and also add a nutrient boost to the meal.

Individual Ground Beef Wellingtons

These individual Beef Wellingtons are made with ground beef instead of the traditional beef tenderloin, making them a delicious, yet cost effective, way to serve a special meal to your family and friends.The ground beef is seasoned well, topped with duxelles (a mixture of chopped mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme), neatly folded into thin slices of prosciutto, then wrapped in prepared puff pastry to create beautiful little packages, which are bursting with big flavour.

Asian Beef and Bean Stir-Fry

For a speedy second meal from this recipe, double the batch of the cooked ground beef mixture and freeze in sealed container for up to 3 months. To prepare the meal from the frozen cooked ground beef mixture, just thaw and cook with the green beans and red pepper.