ABOUT THE GRIND:
When possible, shop for grass-fed or organic beef with 15 to 20 percent fat content.
How far would you go for a great burger? Would you source and grind your own beef? If so, you need a real meat grinder: Good brands include Magic Mill and STX. KitchenAid also makes an optional food grinder attachment for the power hub on its stand mixers. Sorry folks, you can’t get a proper grind in a food processor. If you don’t have a meat grinder, find a butcher who will grind the burger meat to your specs. — STEVEN RAICHLEN, “PROJECT FIRE”
GROUND BEEF SPEAK Ground Beef: Did you
know there’s a difference between ground beef and hamburger? Ground beef is made from trimmings (meat and fat) or offal from one or multiple animals. The fat content cannot exceed 30 percent and must come exclusively from the trimmings themselves. Additional fat cannot be added.
Hamburger: Like ground beef, hamburg er is made from meat trimmings or offal from one or multiple animals and cannot exceed 30 percent fat. Unlike ground beef, however, pure beef fat (suet) can be added to the mixture to supplement fat in the trimmings. Lean and Extra Lean Ground Beef: According to the USDA, ground beef that is labeled “lean” contains 10 percent fat. If the mixture is labeled “extra lean,” it contains 5 percent fat. — STEVEN RAICHLEN, “PROJECT FIRE”