With the change in the seasons, I am glad to get back in the kitchen and be able to cook. This is the time of year I love most food wise. Can you tell I’m ready for fall/winter comfort foods already?
When I was growing up, so many of the family dinners we shared started with a pound of ground beef. And there were very few I didn’t love. Ground beef is convenient, crowd-pleasing, quick to prepare, freezes well, and far easier on your wallet than nearly any proper cut of beef I can think of. The one thing I consistently have in my freezer is ground beef. If I see it on sale, I buy it and freeze it.
Ground beef has been a staple ingredient in various cultures for centuries. In the Middle Ages, European cooks would grind leftover meat to make dishes like meat pies and sausages.
Ground beef, as a food item, doesn’t have a single “invention” date. It evolved over time, with the earliest forms appearing in Central Asia with the Mongols in the 13th century. The concept of minced or ground meat, however, has much older roots, dating back to ancient times when people first started processing meat. The modern hamburger, a sandwich using ground beef, is generally considered to have emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. Ground beef is an incredibly popular protein source in the United States, not just because of burgers but because it is so versatile. Meatloaf, meatballs, tacos, Bolognese sauce and casseroles are all wildly popular dishes often featuring ground beef. So popular in fact, that 475 million pounds of ground beef are sold annually in this country.
Just what is ground beef? I think it is somewhat obvious to say that ground beef is just that, cuts of beef that are put through a meat grinder, and on that level, all ground beef is the same. Grinding beef is a wonderful way to tenderize more tough cuts of meat but also to utilize all the trimmings of beef left after the steaks, roasts and loins are cut. I would not consider these lesser cuts simply trimmings, and with all due respect to the cow, we should utilize every bit of the animal. What varies in different ground beef, sometimes referred to as hamburger, is the fat to lean meat ratio, whether the beef used is all of the same cut of beef or a blend of beef from different parts of the cow and the method the animal was raised by.
Whenever you see a label that says “ground beef” and nothing else to indicate what type of beef is used, it indicates that the beef that was ground came from different parts of the cow, largely, chuck, sirloin and round. Sometimes ground beef can be labeled as hamburger as well.
In the case of “ground beef 70/30” you would have ground beef comprised by weight of 70% lean ground beef and 30% fat. This would be about the highest level of fat found in ground beef.
When it comes to the nutritional profile of ground beef, it has both pros and cons. On one hand, it’s a great source of protein, iron, and several essential vitamins and minerals. On the other, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, depending on the cut and fat percentage. Choosing leaner ground beef and consuming it in moderation can help you enjoy its benefits while minimizing potential health risks.
The term “hamburger” derives from the name of the city of Hamburg in Germany, known for exporting high-quality beef. It first showed up in print in 1834 in America on the menu at New York’s Delmonico Restaurant, where the chopped and formed “Hamburg steak” was a prominent item.
In the late 19th century, Dr. James Henry Salisbury used chopped beef patties to cure Civil War soldiers suffering from camp diarrhea. Dr. Salisbury advocated eating cooked beef three times a day for a healthy constitution. The term “Salisbury steak” appeared in print in 1897 and the seasoned and broiled patty is considered a forerunner of the modern hamburger. Dr. Salisbury, the inventor of the Salisbury Steak, had some interesting theories on food. For one, he believed vegetables produced toxins that were responsible for many health issues and recommended a consistent diet of steak and coffee to solve the problem. Not any steak though: Salisbury steak.
His namesake quickly lost its health vibe (for obvious reasons), but the dish actually became more popular as a cheap, no-frills alternative to steak. For the last few decades, the dish has been synonymous with cafeterias and microwaved dinners. It’s one of my favorite ways to fix ground beef.
Salisbury Ground Beef
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-pound 90/10 lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions(or rice or potatoes for serving)
Instructions
Brown the beef, onion, and garlic: Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high. Add the beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not drain the beef. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Brown the mushrooms: Without wiping the skillet clean, add the butter and heat over medium-high until melted. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the beef broth until smooth. Stir in the reserved beef mixture, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste, adding salt as needed. Remove from the heat. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve over the cooked pasta. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
