CONCEPT 14: GRIND MEAT AT HOME FOR MORE TENDER BURGERS Flashcards
Is the size of ground meat pieces important? Why?
Yes, grinding the meat too fine will result in a dense, rubbery product. Grind meat too coarse will leave grisly bits in burgers that fall apart as they cook.
Why is it important to select the proper type of meat?
Because different cuts can vary greatly in flavor, levels of connective tissue and fat.
Is it possible to buy meats that were ground in-house?
Yes but many markets purchase bulk packages of ground beef from beef processing plants. Sometimes this is then reground and supplemented with meat scraps before packaging into smaller parcels.
Where does ground beef come from in the US? What does this mean for your beef variety?
There are about a dozen processing plants beef could come from. This means that preground beef can contain meat from hundreds of different cattle.
Why is grinding your own meat safer than store bought?
Because the act of grinding meat mixes what was once outside (including any bacterial contamination) with the inside (which is sterile), one cut of harmful bacteria can contaminate large amounts of ground meat.
What does grinding do to meat?
Reduces size of muscle fibers and connective tissue, making meat easier to chew and release sticky proteins, which help bind meat together.
What is a primal cut?
A primal cuts is a larger section of a carcass from which retail cuts are made.
TEST KITCHEN: Whether freshly ground beef makes more tender burgers.
Three burgers: store bought; ground to mimic the store’s; ground moderately coarse. All cooked medium rare and smashed with a dutch oven. Store bought remained intact (no juices released), store sub spread a bit (no juices released), The looser, more coarsely ground flattened like a pancake spewing most of the interior all over.
One important variable in ground beef.
Texture of the grind.
Which cut has more fat and flavor, chuck or flap meat?
Flap meat
What will under and over-processed meats produce?
Under-processed meat will lead to grisly bits in the finished patties that don’t hold together and over-processed meat becomes rubbery and dense as it cooks.
How long can extra patties be frozen?
Two weeks
Why are sirloin steak tips and boneless beef short ribs a could burger combo?
The sirloin has a great beefy flavor while the short ribs add an extra element of moisture.
What can you use in place of a meat grinder?
Food processor works just fine.
Why is it important to chill meat first?
15 to 20 minutes in the freezer ensures meat is evenly chopped, not smeared or pulverized.
How does collagen destroy hamburger meat?
As collagen proteins are heated past 140 degrees, they begin to squeeze meat, causing it to become rubbery. At this temperature, collagen begins to unravel, turning meat from tough to tender, but this process takes hours–far longer than the mere minutes burgers spend on the griddle.
How do you avoid the damage of collagen on a burger?
The more these proteins come in contact with each other, the more shrinkage and tightening will take place. The key is to keep it as loosely packed as possible; keep hands off and gently press it into your patties.
Should you keep the nooks and crannies? Why?
Yes, home-ground meat can contain a lot of these. This allows juices to bubble up through their porous surface and drip back down, basting the burgers as they cook. The finished result is juicy with a substantially crisp crust.
Should you add salt before grinding your meat up? Why?
When exposed to a strong concentration of salt, meat proteins will dissolve. While desirable in steaks and chops, it’s unfavorable for ground meat, turning the dissolved meat protein into a sort of glue, binding the ground bits together very tightly to create a rubbery, almost sausage like texture.
When should you season burgers?
Aggressively right before cooking.
