Pete C. wrote:
> Ophelia wrote:
>>
>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> In article >,
>>> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>>>> OK, so if you were buying meat to grind, which cut would YOU
>>>> choose?
>>>
>>> A nicely marbled chuck roast.
>>
>> I always choose meat which is not too lean. I think the flavour is
>> in the fat and that it melts out when it is cooked, leaving the
>> flavour and the tenderness.
>
> We know that much of the flavor is in the fat, that's why commercial
> hamburger mix is 50/50 (yeow!).

Oh my! I didn't know they used that mix! I chose a smallish joint of lean
silverside
(roasting joint) and some breast of pork. I cut all the fat from the pork
and ground it with my beef. I suppose it ended up 75% beef and 25% pork
fat.

brooklyn1 wrote:
> "sf" wrote
>>
>> So, what you're really saying is home ground will taste like store
>> bought if you let it sit for... how long?
>>
>>
>
> If it's the prepackaged stuff one normally buys from the stupidmarket,
> you're talking at least a week, probably more like two-three weeks...
> because they don't grind cuts like roasts... first they wait until the
> roasts pass the sell-by date and they turn those into smaller cuts
> like steaks, than after the steaks pass the sell-by date they turn
> that into generic stew meat, then after the stew meat passes its sell-
> by date they finally grind it but not before adding all the scraps
> and trimmings they saved from the previous day. When I say
> preground is mystery meat it's truly MYSTERY meat.. now I just
> exposed some of the mystery but only the tip of the iceberg.

G*d help me... but he is right!!

Ophelia wrote:
> brooklyn1 wrote:
>> "sf" wrote
>>> So, what you're really saying is home ground will taste like store
>>> bought if you let it sit for... how long?
>>>
>>>
>> If it's the prepackaged stuff one normally buys from the stupidmarket,
>> you're talking at least a week, probably more like two-three weeks...
>> because they don't grind cuts like roasts... first they wait until the
>> roasts pass the sell-by date and they turn those into smaller cuts
>> like steaks, than after the steaks pass the sell-by date they turn
>> that into generic stew meat, then after the stew meat passes its sell-
>> by date they finally grind it but not before adding all the scraps
>> and trimmings they saved from the previous day. When I say
>> preground is mystery meat it's truly MYSTERY meat.. now I just
>> exposed some of the mystery but only the tip of the iceberg.
>
> G*d help me... but he is right!!
>
>

Ophelia -

Are you feeling okay?

Just wondering.

Back on topic, the store I go to has the butcher shop area completely in
the view of the public. You can ask for different cuts then what are
displayed, pick out a roast and they'll grind it for you while you
watch, etc.

I could believe some of the more rural outlaying stores might do
something a little fishy with their meat/dates, but that is also a good
way to loose customers, so I would doubt those type practices are
widespread.

Bob

Bob Muncie wrote:
> Ophelia -
>
> Are you feeling okay?
>
> Just wondering.
>
> Back on topic, the store I go to has the butcher shop area completely
> in the view of the public. You can ask for different cuts then what
> are displayed, pick out a roast and they'll grind it for you while you
> watch, etc.

Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your chosen
roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you think
you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>
>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > In article >,
>> > "Ophelia" > wrote:
>> >> OK, so if you were buying meat to grind, which cut would YOU choose?
>> >
>> > A nicely marbled chuck roast.
>>
>> I always choose meat which is not too lean. I think the flavour is in
>> the
>> fat and that it melts out when it is cooked, leaving the flavour and the
>> tenderness.
>
> True, true.
>
>

Actually once the fat melts out any flavor it contains is gone. That's why
stews are so flavorful, the flavor carried by the fat ends up in the cooking
liquid. When meat is grilled and fried and the fat drips out much of the
flavor is lost... at least with frying a lot of the flavor can be reclaimed
by deglazing. Grilling is the least flavorful form of cooking, except for
those who enjoy carborization.... a lot of folks actually do enjoy the
flavor of carborization, that's why they sell charcoal powder to use as a
seasoning. Blech! And I don't know why anyone would want to add wood smoke
flavor to a good steak like a t-bone, strip, porterhosue, etc., they could
save a lot of money by eating tubesteak.

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
> Bob Muncie wrote:
>> Ophelia -
>>
>> Are you feeling okay?
>>
>> Just wondering.
>>
>> Back on topic, the store I go to has the butcher shop area completely
>> in the view of the public. You can ask for different cuts then what
>> are displayed, pick out a roast and they'll grind it for you while you
>> watch, etc.
>
> Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your
> chosen
> roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you
> think
> you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!
>

Excellent point. Do you have a grinder? It sounds like you do.

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
> Pete C. wrote:
>> Ophelia wrote:
>>>
>>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> In article >,
>>>> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>>>>> OK, so if you were buying meat to grind, which cut would YOU
>>>>> choose?
>>>>
>>>> A nicely marbled chuck roast.
>>>
>>> I always choose meat which is not too lean. I think the flavour is
>>> in the fat and that it melts out when it is cooked, leaving the
>>> flavour and the tenderness.
>>
>> We know that much of the flavor is in the fat, that's why commercial
>> hamburger mix is 50/50 (yeow!).
>
> Oh my! I didn't know they used that mix! I chose a smallish joint of
> lean silverside
> (roasting joint) and some breast of pork. I cut all the fat from the pork
> and ground it with my beef. I suppose it ended up 75% beef and 25% pork
> fat.
>

That sounds delish to me.

Ophelia wrote:
> Bob Muncie wrote:
>> Ophelia -
>>
>> Are you feeling okay?
>>
>> Just wondering.
>>
>> Back on topic, the store I go to has the butcher shop area completely
>> in the view of the public. You can ask for different cuts then what
>> are displayed, pick out a roast and they'll grind it for you while you
>> watch, etc.
>
> Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your chosen
> roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you think
> you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!
>
>
>

True, but if they are doing volume grinding (and they do), you can be
reasonably sure that it is as there's only a couple of inches from the
input chute, to the other side of the blade. If there is a straight shot
down the feeder, that doesn't leave much space for getting previously
ground meat. I'd more worried abut the cleanliness of the grinder, but
since you can observe the process, at least you have a sense about how
they work, how clean they keep the surfaces, etc.

Bob

cybercat wrote:
> "Ophelia" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Bob Muncie wrote:
>>> Ophelia -
>>>
>>> Are you feeling okay?
>>>
>>> Just wondering.
>>>
>>> Back on topic, the store I go to has the butcher shop area
>>> completely in the view of the public. You can ask for different
>>> cuts then what are displayed, pick out a roast and they'll grind it
>>> for you while you watch, etc.
>>
>> Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your
>> chosen
>> roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you
>> think
>> you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is
>> finished!
>
> Excellent point. Do you have a grinder? It sounds like you do.

I do indeed. I have pics of it now, so will let you know when they are
up)

Bob Muncie said...

> I could believe some of the more rural outlaying stores might do
> something a little fishy with their meat/dates, but that is also a good
> way to loose customers, so I would doubt those type practices are
> widespread.

Long ago, I learned about a practice meat departments have been using for
ages. They light up the meat cases and shelves with special lights (I forget,
infrared?) to make the meats look "fresher." There's no crime in that but if
you want a better picture of the meat's "freshness," walk 10 or so feet away
from the lights and watch it change to it's natural color. It's not very
dramatic but it should be noticeable.

Andy

Ophelia wrote:
> cybercat wrote:
>> Excellent point. Do you have a grinder? It sounds like you do.
>
> I do indeed. I have pics of it now, so will let you know when they
> are up)

Ok I have them he http://tinypic.com/a/ziqb/2

I showed the packeet of the meat I had used, but forgot about the pork fat

You can see the grinder and you can see the beef and the fat cut ready to
grind.

The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to 160f.

They were juicy and tender) Not at all like the ones I had seen in the
burger places. There was far too much food for us though. The corn on the
cob didn't get eaten, nor did the salad. We managed half the chips (fries)
and Blue, my dog had a feast)) I will make them again but probably just
with the buns, fried onions and the hamburgers.

Many thanks for all the help and advice, I am very pleased with the
outcome))

Ophelia wrote:
> Ophelia wrote:
>> cybercat wrote:
>>> Excellent point. Do you have a grinder? It sounds like you do.
>> I do indeed. I have pics of it now, so will let you know when they
>> are up)
>
> Ok I have them he http://tinypic.com/a/ziqb/2
>
> I showed the packeet of the meat I had used, but forgot about the pork fat
>
> You can see the grinder and you can see the beef and the fat cut ready to
> grind.
>
> The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
> temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to 160f.
>
> They were juicy and tender) Not at all like the ones I had seen in the
> burger places. There was far too much food for us though. The corn on the
> cob didn't get eaten, nor did the salad. We managed half the chips (fries)
> and Blue, my dog had a feast)) I will make them again but probably just
> with the buns, fried onions and the hamburgers.
>
> Many thanks for all the help and advice, I am very pleased with the
> outcome))
>
>

Nice! I'd like one, but just cooking for myself, I couldn't justify it.
It would likely end up in the basement with a few other items like the
pressure cooker, or bread maker.

Bob

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:56:54 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>
>"sf" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Then why are you talking about them? There's no point in bring them
>> up and then saying you don't like them if you've never had burgers
>> anywhere other than the worst burger joints on planet earth!
>
>Doesn't matter much. I am now geared up to making my own...
>
>I tend to use a thermometer to check the temp of meat I am cooking. What
>temp ought hamburger be when cooked?
>
Are you kidding? I never use a thermometer. Cooking hamburger isn't
brain surgery. Cook them how you like. I like mine on the rare side;
but you may not if all you've ever had is a Wimpy burger. I use high
heat so they brown on the outside, but they don't cook through.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0500, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>I'm not sure how long it takes to get to "fully oxidized".

I have no idea what you mean by oxidized. Rancid?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:58:41 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>brooklyn1 wrote:
>> "sf" wrote
>>>
>>> So, what you're really saying is home ground will taste like store
>>> bought if you let it sit for... how long?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> If it's the prepackaged stuff one normally buys from the stupidmarket,
>> you're talking at least a week, probably more like two-three weeks...
>> because they don't grind cuts like roasts... first they wait until the
>> roasts pass the sell-by date and they turn those into smaller cuts
>> like steaks, than after the steaks pass the sell-by date they turn
>> that into generic stew meat, then after the stew meat passes its sell-
>> by date they finally grind it but not before adding all the scraps
>> and trimmings they saved from the previous day. When I say
>> preground is mystery meat it's truly MYSTERY meat.. now I just
>> exposed some of the mystery but only the tip of the iceberg.
>
>G*d help me... but he is right!!
>
If it's true (most likely not), the only thing I'd be worried about is
all those missed sell by dates because I don't care what cut of meat
goes into hamburger.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:52 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your chosen
>roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you think
>you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!

It's usually ground at the factory and comes in big chubs.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Ophelia > wrote:

> The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
> temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to 160f.

USDA is a bit paranoid about ground beef and 160F is really well done.
I prefer a medium burger, and if you are grinding your own meat you are
less likely to have any problem with that. On the other hand, you added
pork, so maybe it's best to go for well done. You might try 145 to 150
next time to see if you like it better.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:00:28 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>My meat is ground, seasoned and in the fridge ready to cook when his nibs
>gets home from work I have prepared chips (um.. potatoes sliced and cut
>into sticks) ready to fry...I have sweetcorn waiting in the microwave, I
>have wholemeat rolls and I have salad stuff. I bought some chutney. I
>shall fry mushrooms to serve on the side and sweet onions to slice up with
>the salad! Oh yes I have mayonnaise. ready. What have I missed?

Chutney is a nice topping, if you make sweet chili sauce - try that
sometime. Speaking of not your usual type burger, I had one today
made of kofte meat and it was delicious.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:01:25 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>
>"sf" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:54:10 +0100, "Ophelia" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>My brother makes a mean steak
>>>pie, He puts stilton into it just before he puts on the pastry.
>>
>> Steak pie isn't a staple over here, but I had a killer one in London.
>> The crust is just as important too.
>
>Oh yes!
>
>>Will you post a recipe someday?
>
>Mine or my brothers?
>
Either! You were bragging about your brother's. Is your's something
to brag about too? LOL!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:56:54 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"sf" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> Then why are you talking about them? There's no point in bring them
> >> up and then saying you don't like them if you've never had burgers
> >> anywhere other than the worst burger joints on planet earth!
> >
> >Doesn't matter much. I am now geared up to making my own...
> >
> >I tend to use a thermometer to check the temp of meat I am cooking. What
> >temp ought hamburger be when cooked?
> >
> Are you kidding? I never use a thermometer. Cooking hamburger isn't
> brain surgery. Cook them how you like. I like mine on the rare side;
> but you may not if all you've ever had is a Wimpy burger. I use high
> heat so they brown on the outside, but they don't cook through.

Ditto here.
Especially if using a wood or charcoal grill.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

sf wrote:
>
> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0500, "Pete C." >
> wrote:
>
> >I'm not sure how long it takes to get to "fully oxidized".
>
> I have no idea what you mean by oxidized. Rancid?

Not exactly, but similar. It's oxygen in the air reacting with the meat,
when the meat is in a large piece only the outer surface can oxidize,
when ground the surface area exposed to oxidation vastly increases so
the amount of time all that surface area is exposed to air before
cooking makes a big difference. Oxidation of the meat produces a
somewhat metallic flavor and as I noted in another post, if you haven't
ever had fresh ground meat you may not notice or realize it.

wrote:
>
> Ophelia > wrote:
>
> > The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
> > temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to 160f.
>
> USDA is a bit paranoid about ground beef and 160F is really well done.
> I prefer a medium burger, and if you are grinding your own meat you are
> less likely to have any problem with that. On the other hand, you added
> pork, so maybe it's best to go for well done. You might try 145 to 150
> next time to see if you like it better.
>

Yes, one of the many advantages of grinding your own hamburg fresh and
grilling it immediately is that you can cook it quite rare with good
safety.

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
>
>>On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:56:54 +0100, "Ophelia" >
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"sf" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>>Then why are you talking about them? There's no point in bring them
>>>>up and then saying you don't like them if you've never had burgers
>>>>anywhere other than the worst burger joints on planet earth!
>>>
>>>Doesn't matter much. I am now geared up to making my own...
>>>
>>>I tend to use a thermometer to check the temp of meat I am cooking. What
>>>temp ought hamburger be when cooked?
>>>
>>
>>Are you kidding? I never use a thermometer. Cooking hamburger isn't
>>brain surgery. Cook them how you like. I like mine on the rare side;
>>but you may not if all you've ever had is a Wimpy burger. I use high
>>heat so they brown on the outside, but they don't cook through.
>
>
> Ditto here.
> Especially if using a wood or charcoal grill.

Thirded.

I use ground round shaped into close to 1/2 lb patties, seasoned with a
liberal sprinkle of sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. These are cooked
over a hot flame until crispy on the edges but still rare-ish in the middle.

A couple of weeks ago we attended a family reunion where we were asked
to bring some sort of meat, and a dish to share. I brought big-assed
burgers, good rolls, split and brushed with garlic butter, and a new
york-style cheese cake.

When it was announced that a cousin of my husband would be grilling the
meat, my 14 year-old son looked worried and asked if I might be able to
cook our burgers, and to please make sure we got our own back. I told
him no way. Dad's cousin was possessive about the grill.

And sure enough, the burgers were cooked to the texture of shredded
toilet paper patties. When the kids muttered complaints I told them the
reunion wasn't really about the food and to just suck it up and go eat
some clam dip or something.

So I owe them some decent burgers this weekend.

sf wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:52 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
>> Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your chosen
>> roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you think
>> you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!
>
> It's usually ground at the factory and comes in big chubs.
>

That could be true where the economy dictates, but the store I use, you
can watch them grind it.

Bob

wrote:
> Ophelia > wrote:
>
>> The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
>> temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to 160f.
>
> USDA is a bit paranoid about ground beef and 160F is really well done.
> I prefer a medium burger, and if you are grinding your own meat you are
> less likely to have any problem with that. On the other hand, you added
> pork, so maybe it's best to go for well done. You might try 145 to 150
> next time to see if you like it better.
>
> Bill Ranck
> Blacksburg, Va.
>

I've never used a thermometer on burgers, but if I were to, I'd pull it
at the same temp I pull my beef steak and roasts, 130 ~ 135F

Bob

In article .com>,
"Pete C." > wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0500, "Pete C." >
> > wrote:
> >
> > >I'm not sure how long it takes to get to "fully oxidized".
> >
> > I have no idea what you mean by oxidized. Rancid?
>
> Not exactly, but similar. It's oxygen in the air reacting with the meat,
> when the meat is in a large piece only the outer surface can oxidize,
> when ground the surface area exposed to oxidation vastly increases so
> the amount of time all that surface area is exposed to air before
> cooking makes a big difference. Oxidation of the meat produces a
> somewhat metallic flavor and as I noted in another post, if you haven't
> ever had fresh ground meat you may not notice or realize it.

When I get store bought mystery meat from our local grocer, I'm
fortunate. They have times on the packages and grind small amounts 3
times per day. I generally get to the store around 07:00 so get some
fresh from the first batch. It's usually been there for less than 1
hour. :-)

And yes, I know what you mean! I can taste the difference between that
and the chubs. It's why I'm willing to pay $2.89 per lb. for it. The
fat content varies tho' so is not listed on the package, but it tends to
be pretty lean...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

In article >,
Kathleen > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > sf > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:56:54 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>"sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>>
> >>>>Then why are you talking about them? There's no point in bring them
> >>>>up and then saying you don't like them if you've never had burgers
> >>>>anywhere other than the worst burger joints on planet earth!
> >>>
> >>>Doesn't matter much. I am now geared up to making my own...
> >>>
> >>>I tend to use a thermometer to check the temp of meat I am cooking. What
> >>>temp ought hamburger be when cooked?
> >>>
> >>
> >>Are you kidding? I never use a thermometer. Cooking hamburger isn't
> >>brain surgery. Cook them how you like. I like mine on the rare side;
> >>but you may not if all you've ever had is a Wimpy burger. I use high
> >>heat so they brown on the outside, but they don't cook through.
> >
> >
> > Ditto here.
> > Especially if using a wood or charcoal grill.
>
> Thirded.
>
> I use ground round shaped into close to 1/2 lb patties, seasoned with a
> liberal sprinkle of sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. These are cooked
> over a hot flame until crispy on the edges but still rare-ish in the middle.

Indeed. Same if I use my electric grill. I also coat the outside of the
burger lightly with a mix of Bragg's and Oyster sauce. Helps it to char
better. Then I sprinkle lightly with salt free lemon pepper. I prefer
to add salt to taste after it's cooked.

>
> A couple of weeks ago we attended a family reunion where we were asked
> to bring some sort of meat, and a dish to share. I brought big-assed
> burgers, good rolls, split and brushed with garlic butter, and a new
> york-style cheese cake.
>
> When it was announced that a cousin of my husband would be grilling the
> meat, my 14 year-old son looked worried and asked if I might be able to
> cook our burgers, and to please make sure we got our own back. I told
> him no way. Dad's cousin was possessive about the grill.
>
> And sure enough, the burgers were cooked to the texture of shredded
> toilet paper patties. When the kids muttered complaints I told them the
> reunion wasn't really about the food and to just suck it up and go eat
> some clam dip or something.
>
> So I owe them some decent burgers this weekend.

Oops. ;-)
Waste of good meat...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

In article >,
Bob Muncie > wrote:

> sf wrote:
> > On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:52 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your chosen
> >> roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you think
> >> you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!
> >
> > It's usually ground at the factory and comes in big chubs.
> >
>
> That could be true where the economy dictates, but the store I use, you
> can watch them grind it.
>
> Bob

I can get either/or. The fresh in-store ground is slightly higher in
price, but worth it.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:59:03 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>I prefer to add salt to taste after it's cooked.

Getting away from burgers... I cooked broccolini tonight. Salted the
water and blanched before I sautéed them in olive oil and garlic. I
tasted before proceeding... oh man did it taste salty! My tastebuds
must be becoming salt sensitive. Oddly, the salt didn't bother me
after I finished it off with OO and garlic.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:08:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>We know that much of the flavor is in the fat, that's why commercial
>hamburger mix is 50/50 (yeow!).

<laugh> It is not! 80-20 is good.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
>
> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:08:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
> wrote:
>
> >We know that much of the flavor is in the fat, that's why commercial
> >hamburger mix is 50/50 (yeow!).
>
> <laugh> It is not! 80-20 is good.

Yes, it is. I saw a program once with a segment in one of the processing
plants which showed the guy forklifting into the grinder "2,000# of lean
and 2,000# of fat" and "yes, it is 50/50" and that was the guy with the
forklift speaking, not a voiceover.

Omelet wrote:
>
> In article .com>,
> "Pete C." > wrote:
>
> > sf wrote:
> > >
> > > On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0500, "Pete C." >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >I'm not sure how long it takes to get to "fully oxidized".
> > >
> > > I have no idea what you mean by oxidized. Rancid?
> >
> > Not exactly, but similar. It's oxygen in the air reacting with the meat,
> > when the meat is in a large piece only the outer surface can oxidize,
> > when ground the surface area exposed to oxidation vastly increases so
> > the amount of time all that surface area is exposed to air before
> > cooking makes a big difference. Oxidation of the meat produces a
> > somewhat metallic flavor and as I noted in another post, if you haven't
> > ever had fresh ground meat you may not notice or realize it.
>
> When I get store bought mystery meat from our local grocer, I'm
> fortunate. They have times on the packages and grind small amounts 3
> times per day. I generally get to the store around 07:00 so get some
> fresh from the first batch. It's usually been there for less than 1
> hour. :-)
>
> And yes, I know what you mean! I can taste the difference between that
> and the chubs. It's why I'm willing to pay $2.89 per lb. for it. The
> fat content varies tho' so is not listed on the package, but it tends to
> be pretty lean...

Try grinding it yourself and see what a difference taking the time
between grind and cook down to just a few minutes.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:56:18 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article .com>,
> "Pete C." > wrote:
>
>> sf wrote:
>> >
>> > On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0500, "Pete C." >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > >I'm not sure how long it takes to get to "fully oxidized".
>> >
>> > I have no idea what you mean by oxidized. Rancid?
>>
>> Not exactly, but similar. It's oxygen in the air reacting with the meat,
>> when the meat is in a large piece only the outer surface can oxidize,
>> when ground the surface area exposed to oxidation vastly increases so
>> the amount of time all that surface area is exposed to air before
>> cooking makes a big difference. Oxidation of the meat produces a
>> somewhat metallic flavor and as I noted in another post, if you haven't
>> ever had fresh ground meat you may not notice or realize it.
>
>When I get store bought mystery meat from our local grocer, I'm
>fortunate. They have times on the packages and grind small amounts 3
>times per day. I generally get to the store around 07:00 so get some
>fresh from the first batch. It's usually been there for less than 1
>hour. :-)
>
>And yes, I know what you mean! I can taste the difference between that
>and the chubs. It's why I'm willing to pay $2.89 per lb. for it. The
>fat content varies tho' so is not listed on the package, but it tends to
>be pretty lean...

I'm just not that particular. It's food and I am not scared of
cooties. OTOH, I do appreciate burgers that are ground in house at my
favorite burger joints.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:00:23 -0500, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>
>sf wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:08:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >We know that much of the flavor is in the fat, that's why commercial
>> >hamburger mix is 50/50 (yeow!).
>>
>> <laugh> It is not! 80-20 is good.
>
>Yes, it is. I saw a program once with a segment in one of the processing
>plants which showed the guy forklifting into the grinder "2,000# of lean
>and 2,000# of fat" and "yes, it is 50/50" and that was the guy with the
>forklift speaking, not a voiceover.

I've never heard of a 50-50 mix, but to put that into perspective -
some people think Kobe beef is wonderful. It grosses me out just to
look at a picture of it.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" > wrote in message
news
> Are you kidding?

No!

I never use a thermometer. Cooking hamburger isn't
> brain surgery. Cook them how you like.

But I had never cooked them before, so I didn't know 'how I like'

I like mine on the rare side;
> but you may not if all you've ever had is a Wimpy burger. I use high
> heat so they brown on the outside, but they don't cook through.


As I have told you, I have never had a Wimpy burger. I told you I didn't
like the look of them.... thin, flat, hard looking discs which was not
something I intended to replicate at home.

I went to the USDA site and got good information - cook slowly to 160f and
they were perfect!

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:52 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
>>Do you know how much meat/whatever is already in that grinder? Your
>>chosen
>>roast could go in and be ground. How much of your 'own' roast do you
>>think
>>you are getting, and how much is still in the grinder when he is finished!
>
> It's usually ground at the factory and comes in big chubs.

Not in my house.

wrote:
> Ophelia > wrote:
>
>> The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for the
>> temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them to
>> 160f.
>
> USDA is a bit paranoid about ground beef and 160F is really well done.
> I prefer a medium burger, and if you are grinding your own meat you
> are less likely to have any problem with that. On the other hand,
> you added pork, so maybe it's best to go for well done. You might
> try 145 to 150 next time to see if you like it better.

Well, we really liked the ones we had last night, but I have taken your
point and I will try it with one next time)

Thank you, Bill!

sf wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:01:25 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:54:10 +0100, "Ophelia"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> My brother makes a mean steak
>>>> pie, He puts stilton into it just before he puts on the pastry.
>>>
>>> Steak pie isn't a staple over here, but I had a killer one in
>>> London. The crust is just as important too.
>>
>> Oh yes!
>>
>>> Will you post a recipe someday?
>>
>> Mine or my brothers?
>>
> Either! You were bragging about your brother's. Is your's something
> to brag about too? LOL!

Without doubt!!!! )

Pete C. wrote:
> wrote:
>>
>> Ophelia > wrote:
>>
>>> The hamburgers were wonderful) I searched on the USDA site for
>>> the temperature to cook them and used my thermometer to cook them
>>> to 160f.
>>
>> USDA is a bit paranoid about ground beef and 160F is really well
>> done. I prefer a medium burger, and if you are grinding your own
>> meat you are less likely to have any problem with that. On the
>> other hand, you added pork, so maybe it's best to go for well done.
>> You might try 145 to 150 next time to see if you like it better.
>>
>
> Yes, one of the many advantages of grinding your own hamburg fresh and
> grilling it immediately is that you can cook it quite rare with good
> safety.

I will be following Bill's advice next time to see how we like them

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:07:58 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>sf wrote:
>> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:01:25 +0100, "Ophelia" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> "sf" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:54:10 +0100, "Ophelia"
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> My brother makes a mean steak
>>>>> pie, He puts stilton into it just before he puts on the pastry.
>>>>
>>>> Steak pie isn't a staple over here, but I had a killer one in
>>>> London. The crust is just as important too.
>>>
>>> Oh yes!
>>>
>>>> Will you post a recipe someday?
>>>
>>> Mine or my brothers?
>>>
>> Either! You were bragging about your brother's. Is your's something
>> to brag about too? LOL!
>
>Without doubt!!!! )
>
Then stop talking and start posting a recipe!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.