rps@apollo.uucp (Robert Stanzel) (11/05/85)
Most supermarkets carry several levels of fat in ground beef, like 20%
and 28%. The least lean of them is up to twice as expensive as the leannest.
I wonder if anyone knows how much fat is removed by cooking and draining?
That is, if most of the fat can be cooked out, then it doesn't seem
worthwhile to purchase the leanest grades.
[Vegetarian flames -- and comments about Apollo's mailer -- to /dev/null.]
[And about those garden snails... No one has asked the key questions:
Does Kate Bush like them, and if so, how prepared?]
--
"Satellites are out tonight"
Rob Stanzel ARPA: RPS%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC
Apollo Computer UUCP: ...{yale,uw-beaver,decvax!wanginst}!apollo!rpscharli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) (11/07/85)
> >I wonder if anyone knows how much fat is removed by cooking and draining? >That is, if most of the fat can be cooked out, then it doesn't seem >worthwhile to purchase the leanest grades. [Rob Stanzel] > The local newspaper's consumer column carried a report a year or so ago on lean vs not-so-lean ground beef. According to this report, the amount of fat in cooked ground beef is about the same whatever grade of ground beef you use. Not-so-lean ground beef loses most of its excess fat in cooking (especially if you broil it on a drip-tray); lean ground beef loses an equivalent weight of water. The report indicated that very lean ground beef is not worth the extra money you pay for it. The difference in fat and calories in the final product will be minimal. charli
rmrin@inuxa.UUCP (D Rickert) (11/08/85)
> Most supermarkets carry several levels of fat in ground beef, like 20% > and 28%. The least lean of them is up to twice as expensive as the leannest. > > I wonder if anyone knows how much fat is removed by cooking and draining? > That is, if most of the fat can be cooked out, then it doesn't seem > worthwhile to purchase the leanest grades. The amount of "after cooking weight" is not the most important thing here. The lower fat grades are much tastier when cooked au jus. -- You are Beautiful, Dick Rickert my manufactured love;- AT&T CPL but it is only Svengali, Indy, IN talking to himself again. Reward is its own virtue!
jdz@wucec2.UUCP (Jason D. Zions) (11/08/85)
In article <29f4984e.1e08@apollo.uucp> rps@apollo.uucp (Robert Stanzel) writes: >Most supermarkets carry several levels of fat in ground beef, like 20% >and 28%. The least lean of them is up to twice as expensive as the leannest. Huh? The least lean is generally the cheapest. >I wonder if anyone knows how much fat is removed by cooking and draining? >That is, if most of the fat can be cooked out, then it doesn't seem >worthwhile to purchase the leanest grades. Most of the fat cooks out, but that's not the issue. It's a question of how much beef is left after you're done cooking. For example: 1 lb 75% lean ground beef @ 1.50 After cooking, you have 0.75 lb left, so you paid $1.50 for 0.75 lb for an actual cost of $2.00 for a pound. 1 lb 95% lean ground beef @ 1.95 After cooking, you have 0.95 lb left for a real cost of 1.95/0.95 for a cost of around $2.05 or so. Some of the grades between 75% and 95% may have leftover ratios better than these. I suppose you also have to consider the fat left in the beef; for people on careful diets this may outweigh cost considerations. -- Jason D. Zions jdz@wucec2 Center for Engineering Computing ...ihnp4!wucs!wucec2!jdz Washington University in St. Louis [Strictly opinions; my employers aren't responsible (not even for hiring me!)]
brian@sdcsvax.UUCP (Brian Kantor) (11/08/85)
In article <29f4984e.1e08@apollo.uucp> rps@apollo.uucp (Robert Stanzel) writes: >Most supermarkets carry several levels of fat in ground beef, like 20% >and 28%. The least lean of them is up to twice as expensive as the leannest. >I wonder if anyone knows how much fat is removed by cooking and draining? >That is, if most of the fat can be cooked out, then it doesn't seem >worthwhile to purchase the leanest grades. That depends on whether you want to pay for fat at meat prices. If the method of cooking that you are using RETAINS the fat in some way, then you should choose a degree of leanness that is appropriate for the recipe. Otherwise, for most dishes, the leaner meat, well drained of cooked fat, might be a better bargain, in that it is the final drained meat cost per gram that is the factor. You can determine this at home; cook three equal (raw) weights of each grade of ground beef in your traditional manner, and weigh the final drained meat. You can then calculate 1) the ratio of finished meat to raw meat, and 2) the cost-per-kilo of the finished meat. Sure it depends on the cooking method used. Taste will vary too. But you COULD make this measurement and see. In fact, it such a good idea, I think I'll do it myself and see. Now all I have to do is find that chemical balance I haven't used since I stopped selling recreational .... - Brian
richl@lumiere.UUCP (Rick Lindsley) (11/09/85)
Another thing to remember is that the amount of leanness can help determine how well hamburger holds together. If all you are doing is browning some hamburger for a casserole, then there is no problem. But if you are making hamburgers or meatballs with no or few other additives you may find it harder to keep the leaner meat together. Rick Lindsley
mj@isrnix.UUCP (Mary Jean Burke) (11/12/85)
-*-
Consumer Reports did an article on the different grades of ground
beef in their June, 1984 issue. They bought hamburger meat at nine major
supermarket chains and compared the different grades before and after
cooking the meat in the form of hamburgers. Below is their summary report
based on average costs and values for the tested samples.
For how they classified the grades, refer to the original article.
Their final recommendation was to buy hamburger by price as you don't
necessarily get leaner beef by paying more, nor do you get much greater
cooked yield or protein. They suggest you might want to buy higher grades of
beef if the fat will NOT be rendered out during cooking.
Ground Ground Ground Ground
Beef Chuck Round Sirloin
Price per lb. $1.27 1.69 1.99 2.36
Fat content, raw 24% 21% 18% 15%
Fat content, cooked 20% 18% 17% 15%
Cooked yield
(% of raw weight) 66% 69% 70% 73%
Calories per
cooked burger 211 206 207 200
Protein per
cooked burger 19 grams 20 21 22
Cost of cooked
yield, per lb. $1.93 $2.47 $2.85 $3.25
--
.:.
/.\ mary jean burke
'|-|` ...ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!isrnix!mj