Ground Beef Know How - Canadian Beef | Canada Beef

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.

  1. 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.
  2. DRAIN.
  3. 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

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:

Blended Sliders

Beef and beans are a perfect match both nutritionally and flavour-wise in these delicious sliders! The protein from the beef and the fibre from the beans makes a dynamite combination that helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. Both beef and beans provide iron – beef provides heme iron while beans provide non-heme iron.

Classic Stove-top Mac n’ Beef

This is a great dish to make ahead, keeps well in the refrigerator for 3ays. Don’t have any elbow macaroni? Any medium pasta shape will work just as well.

Muffletta-Style Inside Out Sirloin Beef Burgers

When is something as delicious as sirloin steak not a sirloin steak? When it’s a sumptuous Sirloin Steak Burger of course! Steak Burgers are packed with more flavour than just what’s on top! With fresh ground Round, Chuck or Sirloin from your local grocer, it’s easy to make these signature burgers at home. The cheese here goes underground for easier grill management and burgers so delicious – from the inside OUT.

Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce and Grand Cheese Stuffed Beef Meatballs

This hearty pasta favourite, includes about 10 tender large meatballs with the sauce. Poaching the meatballs right in the sauce simplifies cooking and clean-up and ensures there is a good meaty and cheesy flavour throughout the sauce.

Speedy Gyro Beef Salad

If you love a classic Greek gyro, you’re going to love this speedy weeknight dinner for two! The star of the show is the delicious ground beef that is combined with gyro must-haves: feta cheese, tomato, Greek olives and cucumber dressing. The same great restaurant flavours, fast and easy at home!

Wild Mushroom and Beef Ragout with Polenta

This is a delicious all-purpose meat sauce from cookbook author Bonnie Stern. Try it over pasta too. Just a little bit of sausage adds a lot of flavour to the recipe, but you can omit it if you prefer and use an equal amount of lean beef.

Beef and Caramelized Onion Hand Pies

Hand pies make protein-packed beef portable for snacking, meals-on-the-go or casual fun meals. Using frozen puff pastry makes these hand pies super easy to put together and adds a touch of bakery glamour.
Canadian-Beef-Barbecue-Beef-Hand-Pies

Barbecue Beef Hand Pies

Reminiscent of Jamaican patties or Spanish empanadas, these hand-held pies are the perfect after-school snack, lunch or light dinner.

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