ground beef
Also known as: hamburger
Beef trimmed and mechanically ground, sold at different fat percentages such as 80/20 or 85/15 -- the ratio of lean meat to fat, which strongly affects how juicy it stays and how much it shrinks during cooking. Used for burgers, meatballs, chili, tacos, and countless other ground-meat dishes.
Buying guidance
Choose the fat percentage suited to what you're making: higher fat (80/20) for burgers and dishes where the fat renders out and adds flavor and juiciness, leaner (90/10 or higher) where excess grease would need draining anyway. Because grinding distributes any surface bacteria throughout the meat rather than leaving it on the exterior, ground beef needs more thorough cooking than a whole steak does -- cook it fully rather than to a rare or medium-rare finish.
Substitutions
- Ground turkey or chicken -- much leaner; add a little oil to prevent dryness and expect less rendered fat for flavor.
- Ground pork -- fattier and sweeter; works well blended half-and-half with beef in meatballs or sausage-style dishes.
- Plant-based ground -- browns differently and lacks rendered fat; season more assertively to compensate.
Tips & common mistakes
Handling ground beef too much when forming patties or meatballs compacts the proteins and makes the finished texture dense and tough instead of tender -- mix and shape it only enough to bring the ingredients together, no more.
Storage
It spoils faster than a whole steak or roast because grinding increases the surface area exposed to air and bacteria -- plan to cook or freeze it within a day or two of buying rather than the several days that's fine for a solid cut. It also turns from bright red to grayish-brown in the fridge fairly quickly; that color shift alone doesn't mean it's spoiled, but a sour smell or slimy surface does.