If you’re an avid home cook, you probably have browned minced or ground meat before. I have done it many times. But it might surprise you (or not) that there is a right way to cook mince. And if you follow this one man’s advice, you’ll have the tastiest dish ever. Check it out!
Alex, who goes by @cookslashheat on TikTok, calls himself “the Wednesday evening cook.”
He recently shared a video showing us all how to brown minced meat perfectly. The video starts with him saying that every time he sees somebody cook something with minced meat, he’s “literally horrified.” So naturally, he had to chime in and give a few pointers.
He goes on to say that the point of cooking your ground meat is to introduce something called the “maillard reaction.”
This is basically a chemical reaction between amino acids and the reduction of sugars to create melanoidins, the compounds that give browned food its distinctive flavor. It’s the process by which the sugars in the meat caramelize and deepen the flavor of whatever you’re cooking.
First, start with a medium-hot pan. Next, add oil.
Then throw in your raw meat. Break it up with a spatula so it can cook through and evenly. Cook it for a bit. At this point, it’s not a good idea to add any veggies or stock. Alex says it’s like eating a gray steak. Sure, you can eat a gray steak, but why would you want to? Instead, let it cook slightly longer.
Flavor is not a race, people!
According to Alex, “It’s lovingly crafted. It’s delicious. You’ve taken your time with it.” Understand? Basically, what you’re doing now is “rendering the fat” out of the meat. Also, if you’re the kind of person who pours away the “fat” while cooking mince at this point, you’re doing it wrong.
Why? It’s because you’re not rendering it correctly.
Essentially, you’re just pouring away all the water the meat released and none of the fat. And with that goes all the flavor. Get it? The water absorbed all the flavor, so you’re just throwing it away. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Just saying!
This is what you do instead:
You need to let the meat pick up all these little brown flecks. These flecks are literally pure concentrated flavor. It’s what will make your meat taste moist and delicious. Did I just say “moist”? LOL!
Don’t worry about overcooking it, either.
Minced meat is made with the toughest cuts of meat, so it can withstand longer cooking periods. In fact, the longer you cook, the more flavorful it will absorb. Trust me — or trust Alex!
It’s the perfect type of meat to cook slowly!
You can use your browned meat in a ragu or some other “abomination,” as Alex puts it. Now you can discard the fat if you want to. I personally wouldn’t do that if I were you, but to each their own, I guess. In my opinion, the rendered fat adds so much more flavor to the dish.
Now for the last step.
This is the perfect time to throw in your veggies, tomato paste, or any spices so you can deglaze it. You’ve broken up all the fat and the connective tissues and rendered it perfectly.
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It’s ready to get more flavor from your stock, seasonings, and any vegetables you’d like to add. So keep cooking it until it absorbs all those gorgeous flavors.
Oh, my goodness, yum!
I don’t know about you, but this is making me hungry. So did you know about all these steps for cooking minced meat? I sure did, but I can understand how some people can get confused. When you follow this advice, your taste buds and your family will thank you. You’re welcome!
