Cooking Minced Beef: 5 Handy Tips from Spencer Westcott
Learn Spencer Westcott’s expert tips on cooking minced beef with this handy guide! Read on for more.
An essential ingredient in cuisines around the world, minced beef forms the basis of many widely-loved recipes. From a hearty, rich Spaghetti Bolognese and a tasty burger to an aromatic, well-spiced Chili con Carne or a traditional British Cottage Pie, minced beef is celebrated as being full of flavour, high in protein, and easy to cook. But how exactly do you make sure that you’re cooking minced beef right?
Luckily, chef Spencer Westcott is on-hand to share his wisdom and expertise. Although seemingly difficult to get wrong, there are many ways of cooking minced beef that will render your time-tested recipes even more delicious. Whether you’ve been using the wrong pan or cooking at the wrong temperature, we’re willing to bet that these 5 handy tips will change the way you cook minced beef forever.
Read on for Spencer Westcott’s 5 handy tips for cooking minced beef!
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1. Buy your minced beef with a fat content of 8% – 10%
When buying your meat, try to find minced beef with a fat content of around 8% – 10%. Not only will this enhance the beef’s deliciously rich flavour, but it also means that less oil is needed when cooking minced beef in the pan. This makes it healthier, with a leaner taste!
2. Choose your pan wisely
Always cook your minced beef in a heavy-bottom pan. This will help to retain the heat and allow the beef to brown more easily.
3. Pre-heat your pan and use vegetable oil
When you need to brown the minced beef, heat the pan well and add a little vegetable oil before adding the beef. This will allow the minced beef to brown and sear evenly, and will stop it from sticking. This also helps it to retain all its flavours.
4. Make sure to use a high temperature when cooking minced beef
Fry the minced beef at a high temperature, in batches if needed. You are looking to seal and brown the beef, not boil it!
5. Read your recipe before cooking!
Understand the recipe or required taste before you start cooking minced beef. An authentic Italian ragù can be slowly braised for hours with a fine ‘soffritto’ of vegetables and wine, whereas spiced minced beef, used for tacos or fajitas, can be cooked in under 10 minutes.
Move from inspiration to action. Create authentic Italian dishes with minced beef and ingredients from our Italian Gourmet Foods selection.
