Minced meat
Popularly known as ground meat, minced meat is a versatile and thrifty staple ingredient in an array of recipes across the globe. The delicacy also makes a sumptuous meal entirely on its own.
What Is Minced meat?
Minced meat is meat that has been finely chopped with a mincing machine. Beef is the regular flesh used to make the food, although other animal meats such as lamb, pig, and goat are also acceptable. There are specific food laws under different categories in various countries meant to regulate its production and protect the health of consumers. In the US, for example, minced meat should always be made from fresh or frozen meat with or without seasoning and without the addition of fat, binders, phosphates, and water. It is particularly great for making taco meat, lasagne and hamburgers.
Often categorized based on the cut and fat content, this product is sold under different names and categories in different regions, depending on the laid-out food regulations. Popular terms include premium, Gourmet, lean, and high-fat. These different categories will, of course, contain varying degrees of the fat-the better the quality, the lesser the fat. Although the leanest flesh is always the healthiest, mince with low-fat levels may be a little crumbly or even bland as fat equals flavour in the culinary world. Most recipes also prefer meat with higher fat content because of its pronounced flavours and moistness.
Although any cut can make minced meat, steak is a popular choice due to its rich flavour and balance of fat. However, not all minced meat will taste the same. Fresh, high-quality mince will often have mouth-watering juiciness while low -quality mince will have a bland taste and leave an unpleasant aftertaste. It is thus advisable for consumers to always go for the best quality during purchases.
This product exposes a higher surface area to bacteria compared to solid chunks of flesh. It is, therefore, prudent for food handlers to maintain proper food safety to prevent contamination. The refrigerated mince should be consumed within two days, while frozen mince is safe for use for up to three months. Undercooked mince may contain E-coli, a bacterium responsible for food poisoning, which may be fatal. Because of the high possibility of bacterial contamination with this product, food handlers should cook the food to 72Oc to ensure all the killing of harmful bacteria.
Packaged mince may sometimes be brownish in the middle, which is often a call for concern for most buyers. This is, however, nothing to be wary about as its okay and normal. Exposed meat pigments react with oxygen to form the reddish colour, probably why the outermost parts often look bright red. Due to lack of contact with the air, the middle regions of the mince are brownish. A greyish colouration, however, is a characteristic of staleness and should be discarded.
Is Minced meat the Same as Mincemeat?
No. Differentiating between the two is often a nightmare, especially to the American population. From its name, it is only obvious to assume that mincemeat has quite a significant proportion of flesh in it. Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. Mincemeat is a blended mixture of dried fruits, spices, distilled spirits, and is usually used to make pies. These ingredients are generally left to mature for about a month to mellow and enrichen the flavours. The confusion can be attributed mainly to the origin of mincemeat.
Historically, mincemeat was an easy way of preserving meat with sugars, spices, and alcohol. The dried fruits and spices possessed properties that inhibited spoilage by preventing the growth of bacteria, allowing the flesh to stay bacteria-free for months on end. However, by the end of the 20th century, regular meat was replaced by beef sue as the main ingredient.
The recipe then evolved to the modern-day mincemeat which comprises of fruits like apples and raisins and brandy or rum. This shift to fruit is thought to have come about because of the love of warm, sweet spices traditionally used. Mincemeat may sometimes contain raw animal suet and should always be refrigerated and never consumed raw.
What Are the Nutritional Benefits of Minced Meat?
This culinary favourite always gets a bad reputation compared to other cuts, probably due to the confusion with ground beef, which is associated with high-fat contents. This product is, however, an excellent source of proteins, vitamin B, iron, selenium, zinc, and phosphates.
These nutrients will vary with the content of protein and fat in the product. Although nutritious, the consumption of red meats should always be on the moderate side due to the high-fat levels that raise cholesterol in the body.
What Is the Difference Between Minced Meat and Ground Beef?
Although mostly used interchangeably, these two types of meat products are way different from each other. Minced meat is exclusively meat, while ground beef typically contains less meat and is more of a cheaper blended version with additional water and soya. In contrast to minced meat, where the fat percentage is the ultimate concern, ground beef is an emulsion of beef and fat.
The price of ground beef is also significantly lower due to all the fillers incorporated. However, in modern times, recipes that call for minced meat are rare, and the terms may be interchangeably used.
Buying Minced Meat Online
Both minced and ground meat are available at Farmy at affordable prices. The store’s commitment to quality ensures that mince is only sourced from local organic-certified and sustainable farms. Fresh and processed with care, Farmy’s minced meat is sure to meet the highest of customers’ expectations.