The 60/40 beef Kenji uses in his In-N-Out Double Double Animal Style recipe, while delicious, may be a bit much for regular burger making. What lean-to-fat ratio in ground beef do you prefer when making burgers at home? [Thanks to ratbuddy for suggesting this week's question.]
90/10 results in such a dry unappealing burger, this meat eater would opt for a nice big Portabello mushroom pan griddled in lots of olive oil vs 'low fat' beef if I were forced to choose between the two.
85/15 is good - although I like to grind (food processor) my own often and look for a good even distribution of fat in the meat - not really sure on the ratio.
80/20 is good. I don't have a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid so I usually get it with that ratio if I'm just going to grill up a burger at home. If I'm planning on really going nuts with the toppings like bacon or cheese, I might go a little less heavy on the fat just to maintain some balance when eating it.
I ground some not-so-great quality rib eye I had in the freezer, and actually got the ground beef too fat! Given that I like nothing less than 80/20, that's saying something. The amazing thing was how the meat which tasted pretty bad as steak made a great-tasting burger (other than the issue of too much fat, that is).
The problem now-a-days is that people have been so conditioned to spurn fat that something even close to 80/20 hamburger can be hard to find. It is getting to the point that grinding you own is really to only option.
Anything over 80/20, I usually shop around for something in the 70s/20s range. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get on the home-grinding bandwagon yet, so that's about as good as I can expect from the supermarket. Some of my local markets only have 90/10 or 95/5. Gross, who wants that?
My mother raised me on 93/7, well done, my whole life, telling me it was the best tasting. I'm 28 and only last month did I try 80/20 medium-rare...it was so good I wanted to cry.
I see that I may be a detractor here, but I always get my hamburger meat as lean as possible. My hamburgers are always juicy, delicious, and raved about. I tend to by the 93/7...I mix in an egg, worcestershire sauce, a (small) grated onion, stone ground mustard, and (and whatever else I'm feeling). Never any breadcrumbs, though; I don't think they add much. Why eat all the cow fat when you can have a perfectly awesome burger without it?
@myself it occurred to me after I wrote that that eggs have no fat. But the point still stands. It's a burger, its not going to be health food, it tastes better with fat.
I agree that 80/20 tastes best, but when I am preparing burgers as a quick go-to meal for weeknights, I use 90/10 to avoid the fat. I've always been perfectly happy with the taste. I recently tried 93/7, not thinking it would make much difference, and I thought the results were AWFUL and dry, although my husband didn't complain. The next time I made them, I cooked them in tablespoon of butter - MUCH better! :)
When grinding my own I shoot for at least 70/30 meat/fat ratio, if not even higher with the fat. And of course I cook them exclusively in a skillet using clarified butter. If you want something low fat, don't eat a damn hamburger. Rather than destroy a great meal by attempting to lower the fat, I'd rather just east some well cooked chicken.
I use a 50/50 mixture of sirloin steak that I grind myself along with 85/15 ground chuck and season only with salt and pepper. A couple of years ago, I tried using a chub of 70/30 mystery grade beef from Super K for burgers (cooked indoors) and could've have used a hazmat suit for protection from the excessive grease splatter.
I am a butcher and I always select the cuts I want to grind for my burger as the day goes on . I select trim from the chuck and rib. It mixes out to be about 82/18 %! But the secret is getting that good stuff from the Chuck, boneless shortribs!!That is the base for all the flavour. This is a blend comparable to Frieda!! I won't tell you how many times I grind it, my secret. I tend to form a loose patty, or a smash burger and cook it griddle style. , They are , let me say , nothing short of awesome!!
My wife exclusively buys 93/7 ground beef, so that's what we usually do. My brother brought over some 80 the other night though, which was far superior.
I use 96/4 when I can find it. If you truly know how to cook, you can make even a lean burger sumptuous, juicy, and flavorful. People who can only produce a good burger using fatty meat are taking the easy way out.
A really good burger is home ground, 1/4 chuck, 1/4 short rib, 1/4 brisquet, and 1/4 loin fat....a great combo...one time through chili grind, then one time through small grind and mix until it just starts to stick together...hand form preseasoned patties and cook to medium rare...for the older folks like myself, sliders in toasted brioche rolls are ideal, with melted sharp cheddar and a little caramelized onions, if desired...Bon Appetite, RJ
"I use 96/4 when I can find it. If you truly know how to cook, you can make even a lean burger sumptuous, juicy, and flavorful. People who can only produce a good burger using fatty meat are taking the easy way out."
So what are you adding to achieve this?
Orange juice, low fat yogurt, or some other substance that de-burgerfies the the end result?
Different strokes for different folks...however, there has been much said about the flavor added by fat...ie prime meat, rib steaks and roast, etc...it is not cheating, it is to add flavor...but if you want really healthy, supposedly, lean meat, that is your choice, but fat does add flavor and juiciness...I sometimes wish I could eat more healthy, but I always go for the flavor first...Just a thought....RJelli
For burgers, I like either 80/20 ground chuck or 90/10 ground sirloin. The chuck makes for better texture and a really juicy burger, but I can still make the sirloin burgers pretty juicy and they aren't quite as greasy. I also like to add some chopped onion to the meat before cooking. It may be some sort of burger sin to cook onions into the burger, but it's a delicious sin.
For simply browning for casseroles or the like, I use 93/7 because I spoon off the excess fat and I don't like spooning away such a large portion of the stuff I paid for.
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36 Comments:
I always look for 80/20 when buying ground beef for burgers.
BigWoollyMammoth at 8:33AM on 07/29/10
80/20 or 85/15 works. Anything leaner and don't even bother.
mikehc at 8:57AM on 07/29/10
Organic Grass-fed only for me!
Evildonald at 9:06AM on 07/29/10
For me it's 80/20.
stncttr908 at 9:20AM on 07/29/10
90/10 results in such a dry unappealing burger, this meat eater would opt for a nice big Portabello mushroom pan griddled in lots of olive oil vs 'low fat' beef if I were forced to choose between the two.
SpaceBars at 9:25AM on 07/29/10
85/15 is good - although I like to grind (food processor) my own often and look for a good even distribution of fat in the meat - not really sure on the ratio.
pjvesperman at 9:30AM on 07/29/10
85/15 but I do grind my own from time to time and I have no idea what percentage is comes out to, probably somewhere around 80/20 or 85/15.
arielg at 9:45AM on 07/29/10
80/20 is good. I don't have a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid so I usually get it with that ratio if I'm just going to grill up a burger at home. If I'm planning on really going nuts with the toppings like bacon or cheese, I might go a little less heavy on the fat just to maintain some balance when eating it.
cheftastic at 9:52AM on 07/29/10
I use a combination of chuck (80/20) and short rib (70/30) to make a great burger.
Dembellyfull.com at 10:13AM on 07/29/10
I ground some not-so-great quality rib eye I had in the freezer, and actually got the ground beef too fat! Given that I like nothing less than 80/20, that's saying something. The amazing thing was how the meat which tasted pretty bad as steak made a great-tasting burger (other than the issue of too much fat, that is).
ChloeA at 10:47AM on 07/29/10
The problem now-a-days is that people have been so conditioned to spurn fat that something even close to 80/20 hamburger can be hard to find. It is getting to the point that grinding you own is really to only option.
tankwatkins at 11:03AM on 07/29/10
Anything over 80/20, I usually shop around for something in the 70s/20s range. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get on the home-grinding bandwagon yet, so that's about as good as I can expect from the supermarket. Some of my local markets only have 90/10 or 95/5. Gross, who wants that?
CptBuck at 11:03AM on 07/29/10
My mother raised me on 93/7, well done, my whole life, telling me it was the best tasting. I'm 28 and only last month did I try 80/20 medium-rare...it was so good I wanted to cry.
Fildred at 12:12PM on 07/29/10
I see that I may be a detractor here, but I always get my hamburger meat as lean as possible. My hamburgers are always juicy, delicious, and raved about. I tend to by the 93/7...I mix in an egg, worcestershire sauce, a (small) grated onion, stone ground mustard, and (and whatever else I'm feeling). Never any breadcrumbs, though; I don't think they add much. Why eat all the cow fat when you can have a perfectly awesome burger without it?
I'mJen at 12:14PM on 07/29/10
@I'mJen because what you described isn't a burger, it's meatloaf on a bun.
The reason we eat cow fat is because we want cow fat, not egg fat.
CptBuck at 1:09PM on 07/29/10
@myself it occurred to me after I wrote that that eggs have no fat. But the point still stands. It's a burger, its not going to be health food, it tastes better with fat.
CptBuck at 1:11PM on 07/29/10
@myself wow, I can't win. Eggs do have fat, never trust a website that advertises itself as "Eggs as part of a low fat diet."
CptBuck at 1:12PM on 07/29/10
80/20 for the grill, sometimes will go 85/15 for stove top.
lawandburgers at 1:34PM on 07/29/10
I agree that 80/20 tastes best, but when I am preparing burgers as a quick go-to meal for weeknights, I use 90/10 to avoid the fat. I've always been perfectly happy with the taste. I recently tried 93/7, not thinking it would make much difference, and I thought the results were AWFUL and dry, although my husband didn't complain. The next time I made them, I cooked them in tablespoon of butter - MUCH better! :)
TheBonster128 at 1:52PM on 07/29/10
When grinding my own I shoot for at least 70/30 meat/fat ratio, if not even higher with the fat. And of course I cook them exclusively in a skillet using clarified butter. If you want something low fat, don't eat a damn hamburger. Rather than destroy a great meal by attempting to lower the fat, I'd rather just east some well cooked chicken.
drcordell at 2:28PM on 07/29/10
Work hard.
Exercise hard.
Drink plenty of water.
And eat whatever you want...
I know some people have the whole cholesterol issue so I understand it's not that easy, but for me, I just make sure I am always moving.
Backpacking is my exercise.
I have come off the mountain after a 30 mile hike and eaten a meal that would have killed a Pig.
I'm by no means skinny, but I am not unhealthy and unpleasant to look at.
We are way too concerned with the healthy aspect of our food in my opinion.
BigWoollyMammoth at 3:49PM on 07/29/10
I'd like to clarify that by "Healthy Aspect" I was referring to Calories, Carbs, Fat, Sodium etc....
I could always use less Atrazine in my diet though.
BigWoollyMammoth at 3:57PM on 07/29/10
I use a 50/50 mixture of sirloin steak that I grind myself along with 85/15 ground chuck and season only with salt and pepper. A couple of years ago, I tried using a chub of 70/30 mystery grade beef from Super K for burgers (cooked indoors) and could've have used a hazmat suit for protection from the excessive grease splatter.
Gregg at 5:32PM on 07/29/10
I use 80/20 for almost all ground beef recipes, such as casseroles. I don't usually make hamburgers.
MissBrownEyes at 5:39PM on 07/29/10
80/20 lean/fat, a combination of Ground Round and Ground Chuck...but what percentage?. Good black pepper and sea salt...you don't need anything else.
chevalier at 5:46PM on 07/29/10
I am a butcher and I always select the cuts I want to grind for my burger as the day goes on . I select trim from the chuck and rib. It mixes out to be about 82/18 %! But the secret is getting that good stuff from the Chuck, boneless shortribs!!That is the base for all the flavour. This is a blend comparable to Frieda!! I won't tell you how many times I grind it, my secret. I tend to form a loose patty, or a smash burger and cook it griddle style. , They are , let me say , nothing short of awesome!!
Butcher1049 at 6:55PM on 07/29/10
@Butcher - DON'T TEASE!!! You know you want to tell us anyhow, so spill it!
SizeMatters at 7:50PM on 07/29/10
My wife exclusively buys 93/7 ground beef, so that's what we usually do. My brother brought over some 80 the other night though, which was far superior.
saltmanz at 12:17PM on 07/30/10
I use 96/4 when I can find it. If you truly know how to cook, you can make even a lean burger sumptuous, juicy, and flavorful. People who can only produce a good burger using fatty meat are taking the easy way out.
molawed at 3:45PM on 07/30/10
80/20 any leaner just aint right
short ribs if able to be found only makes it better
foodismylife at 3:52PM on 07/30/10
80/20
crod76 at 4:02PM on 07/30/10
I usually use 90/10, but that's only because I add chopped raw bacon to add a little fat and smokiness.
beth1 at 4:42PM on 07/30/10
A really good burger is home ground, 1/4 chuck, 1/4 short rib, 1/4 brisquet, and 1/4 loin fat....a great combo...one time through chili grind, then one time through small grind and mix until it just starts to stick together...hand form preseasoned patties and cook to medium rare...for the older folks like myself, sliders in toasted brioche rolls are ideal, with melted sharp cheddar and a little caramelized onions, if desired...Bon Appetite, RJ
RJelli at 1:29PM on 07/31/10
"I use 96/4 when I can find it. If you truly know how to cook, you can make even a lean burger sumptuous, juicy, and flavorful. People who can only produce a good burger using fatty meat are taking the easy way out."
So what are you adding to achieve this?
Orange juice, low fat yogurt, or some other substance that de-burgerfies the the end result?
SpaceBars at 11:59AM on 08/02/10
Different strokes for different folks...however, there has been much said about the flavor added by fat...ie prime meat, rib steaks and roast, etc...it is not cheating, it is to add flavor...but if you want really healthy, supposedly, lean meat, that is your choice, but fat does add flavor and juiciness...I sometimes wish I could eat more healthy, but I always go for the flavor first...Just a thought....RJelli
RJelli at 12:11PM on 08/02/10
For burgers, I like either 80/20 ground chuck or 90/10 ground sirloin. The chuck makes for better texture and a really juicy burger, but I can still make the sirloin burgers pretty juicy and they aren't quite as greasy. I also like to add some chopped onion to the meat before cooking. It may be some sort of burger sin to cook onions into the burger, but it's a delicious sin.
For simply browning for casseroles or the like, I use 93/7 because I spoon off the excess fat and I don't like spooning away such a large portion of the stuff I paid for.
bandman at 11:33AM on 08/05/10