Simple hamburger question

[ohwell]

I know the best burgers are from ground chuck. I also know ground chuck is 80%--20%.
But, now when I go to the store, ground chuck isn't on the package. They list 80--20 ground beef.
So I asked the butcher for ground chuck, and he says: anything that says 80-20 is ground chuck.

I don't believe that. The taste of hamburger has steadily gotten worse which is why I am asking for
chuck to begin with. Is this another trick?

My question: Ground chuck is 80-20, but does that mean that ALL 80--20 ground beef is ground chuck?
thanks

[KarenB]

Seems to me that the ground chuck is from a shoulder cut and ground beef is blend of any cut.

[fitzfood]

Hi there...this is just my opinion, the best burgers come fr ground sirlion. They have way less fat but better flavor espcially if your butcher grinds it himself. I don't think all 80/20 is chuck, & I KNOW that "ground beef" could mean anything. That's why it might not taste so good b/c they can get away w/ putting alot of stuff in there. Try to find a place that grinds it's own meat, even if you want a more fatty cut like chuck. I live on a strict budget like alot of us but I'll scrimp on other things to get good/grass-fed/or organic meat fr my neighborhood butcher. hope any of that helped!

[ohwell]

Thank you all. It seems we have to scrutinize just to buy the basics anymore. I remember frying hamburger and it always browned in the skillet. Not anymore--it turns darker grey! What did they do to it? And the hot dogs, baloney, or sausage I had as a kid, I have to search for premium beef or pork just to get close because everything is turkey and chicken guts. I know It wasn't good or healthy to begin with, but it was way better than what they pass off now.

This isn't exactly gourmet chat, but thanks for letting me vent. I think I'll just go to Wendy's.

[brigid]

I know what you mean....I bring the hamburger home and immediately start to make it into patties to freeze. I have noticed that it seems to matter WHERE you buy the meat, too. At many stores the quality seems to have gone down over the years... sad.

[blue catfish]

i don't know if this makes a diferance to any one. But the best burgers i think is a combo of ground chuck and deer meat. i use 70-20. because deer meat has no fat. i mix them together.makes great beugers.

[gourmette]

I agree with you about chuck having the best flavor. I'm dubious about the 80/20-it's-all-chuck statement, too. "Beef" means anything from a cow (/steer). I shudder to think how far that could go!

When I'm feeling ambitious I sometimes buy a piece of chuck steak (on sale! =D ) and mince it to death. This is a lot of annoying work. But I like the texture (and taste) better for anything calling for ground meat (burgers, chili...), and I'm sure of the cut of meat I'm getting. So far as the fat content, I must admit (with a generous dose of chagrin) that I've been known to add in some trimmings from a prime rib roast. Since most of the meat I prepare this way goes on a grill, any excess tends to burn off anyway ... so it ends up just being "flavor". I occasionally see "ground beef for chili" in the butcher's case, but even that seems to be ground to the same consistency and then just extruded in larger coils. I want the actual grind to be coarser.

I have a KA mixer which has a meat grinding accessory (which I have yet to attempt) ... but I can't tell if it grinds coarser or just has larger extrusion ports for the finished product. Does anyone else have one of these, and do you know if the grind is actually coarser?

[KarenB]

Best thing to do is make sure your meat is really cold. Doesn't mush up in the machine and gives a better grind. I always do a double grind for consistency. The smaller cutter slows down the meat therefore it does give a finer grind. Still double grind works the best in both cases.

[eclecticsynergy]

I believe chili grind to be coarser than regular ground beef, at least it's supposed to be...

Alton Brown recommends pulsing ten times in a food processor; I think this could be a viable alternative, especially for small batches (I often find myself cooking for one, or two.) He also recommends a 50/50 mix of chuck and sirloin. Haven't tried this method yet myself. But I've found Alton's recommendations in general to be well-considered and useful.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...ipe/index.html

[jimmyp24588]

Ground round is my choice. Makes for a great burger, with a choice of fillings.