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:

Fruity Glazed Beef Meatball Bites

Folks just can’t seem to get enough of this slow-cooker party classic recipe with its tangy sweet-and-sour sauce and tender beef meatballs.

Minestrone with Mucho Meatballs

This hearty minestrone comes with a multitude of meatballs! To avoid toughening meatballs, use your hands for mixing meatball ingredients and SHAPE GENTLY when forming the meatballs.

Asian Beef Noodle Bowl

So simple to make with so few dishes to clean up — this recipe for Asian Beef Noodles is a nutritious dinner in a bowl.

Classic Meat Loaf with Tomato Glaze

This traditional meat loaf recipe is oozing with flavour and is moist and tender–just like mom used to make. The tangy tomato glaze is what makes it a classic!

Italian Pesto Beef Burger

For best results with this recipe, use a thick pesto for these moist, basil-and garlic-spiked beef burgers. Handle them gently when turning them on the grill.

Taco Ground Beef Salad

A tasty salad version of the traditional taco-in-the-shell, this recipe makes a great lunch to get kids through their day. Beef's naturally rich in several key nutrients that help young and old minds alike learn, concentrate and remember better. Their report card, and their teacher, will thank you!

Swedish Meatballs

The fresh bread crumbs are easy to make with any stale bread and when soaked in the milk, become the secret to tender juicy meatballs – the panade. Meatballs are browned and cooked in the skillet before adding to the simmering cream sauce so they have good colour and flavour but don’t discolour the sauce. Stir in the sour cream just at the end so the cream sauce does not curdle or break. Serve over cooked potatoes or with buttered egg noodles. This recipe was adapted from Chef Alexandra Feswick’s original and modified, as necessary, for home cooks.