How to cook ground beef that tastes amazing every time
Let’s play a game. Which ground beef looks like it tastes better? Option A or Option B.
What’s the problem?
The ground beef on the left looks grayish and will taste dry and bland. This is because it was chopped up into tiny pieces and stirred too much while cooking, causing it to lose moisture and dry out.
How to do it right
I don’t know if there is a science to cooking ground beef, but I do know there are a few things you can do to make sure it tastes amazing every time.
Choose high-quality beef
Did you know that retired dairy cows are harvested for beef? Quite a bit of grocery store beef, especially ground beef, comes from dairy cows. This creates a great resource of affordable meat for American consumers. And while it can taste great, we’ve noticed it just doesn’t compare to beef raised by local farmers and ranchers.
If you are looking for a source of local ground beef that is decently priced, you might be interested in Schrader’s Acres ground beef. It is made with trim from our prime cuts. What this means for you is it tastes amazing, and you can feel good about eating it because you know if comes from high-quality cuts!
Choose the right pan
Once you’ve got your ground beef, it’s time to make sure you have the right pan. One of the biggest causes of dry, gray ground beef is using the wrong pan. The wrong size pan to be exact. When the beef can’t touch the surface of the pan, it can’t caramelize and loses its juiciness and flavor.
You know your pan is big enough when the meat fits across the bottom in one flat, even layer. Remember, surface area is king.
Heat pan and fat
Heat your pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of fat. This could be oil, butter, or ghee.
Add ground beef
When your pan is warm, add ground beef. Push it into an even layer across the bottom of your pan and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Leave it alone!
In other words, don’t touch it! You want to let it sit on the pan to create a brown crust on the beef. A reaction occurs between the amino acids and sugars in the beef, creating the delicious flavor you crave.
Break apart the meat
We like big chunks (of beef) and we cannot lie. Big chunks equal lots of juicy flavor getting locked into the beef. Stir occasionally, flipping chunks over so each side can caramelize. It will take about 4 minutes to finish cooking.
Season
Season beef to taste. You can use salt, pepper, Montreal Seasoning, taco seasoning, something else, or nothing at all!
