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What percentage of fat do I want in my minced beef?

21 replies

MrsFogi · 22/04/2020 21:54

I have always gone for the lowest fat content (so 5%) but suspect that this is to the detriment of my bolognese/lasgagne/cottage pie. What should I be going for wise MN cooks?

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MrsFogi · 22/04/2020 21:54

Lasagne - not whatever that group of letters was!

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Northernsoullover · 22/04/2020 21:55

No you don't want to go above 5. In my opinion anyway. The taste is very different and not pleasant.

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LadyMonicaBaddingham · 22/04/2020 21:59

I use lean (5%) for lasagne and bolognese but prefer a fattier mince for cottage pie, meat ball, kofte or burgers. I would use at least 10% fat mince for those.

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Carrie7469 · 22/04/2020 21:59

I wouldn't use anything other than 5%

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waspfig · 22/04/2020 21:59

20%. That's where all the flavour is. Fat is not the enemy.

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ellanwood · 22/04/2020 22:01

10%. Because the 5% stuff can be quite soft and pate like, and often needs oil adding to stop it sticking to the pan. 10% has a lovely texture - you can always drain off the excess fat once it has cooked.

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Pipandmum · 22/04/2020 22:01

I don't use mince in my lasagna - try using salami (as a layer) instead! But for chilli I always use 5%.

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midgebabe · 22/04/2020 22:01

Depends what you think tastes best, balanced with your weight and general health and portion size

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Purpleartichoke · 22/04/2020 22:02

For something like lasagna, 5% is perfect. For a hamburger, go for the 20%

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mynameiscalypso · 22/04/2020 22:03

Depends on what you're using it for; I often use 10% but will pour off the fat once I've fried it off. 5% never quite gives me a rich enough end product.

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SwedishEdith · 22/04/2020 22:04

I go quite high for the flavour. I don't differ for different meals but about 12%?

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xyzandabc · 22/04/2020 22:04

5% but add bacon or lardons.

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AgeLikeWine · 22/04/2020 22:05

Lean, ie 5% or maybe 10% for bolognese / lasagne. Olive oil is a much healthier fat to have in these dishes.

Burgers & meatballs I would use 20% to add succulence & flavour during frying or grilling. Most of the fat will render anyway, but the result will be much better than if you used 5%.

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ginandbearit · 22/04/2020 22:06

Sainsburys 20% fat mince is the cheapest and tastiest but if its too much just drain it off..

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SoftSheen · 22/04/2020 22:07

10% has a good flavour, IMO. But I add at least 50% vegetables to lasagne, bolognese etc and so the overall fat content is quite low.

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cookingmywaythroughlockdown · 22/04/2020 22:08

We use 5% for slimming world purposes but I prefer 10%

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BakewellGin1 · 22/04/2020 22:09

The less the better for me but I am fussy and from being young refused to eat anything fatty or on a bone (even bacon gets trimmed round the edges lol) Im a nightmare even now I only eat chicken breasts, pork steaks etc I don't even know what started it

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ARoseInHarlem · 22/04/2020 22:10

10%, but skim most of it off.

For Bolognese, lasagna and chili I use 70-30 beef and pork mince. Butcher mixes it up in the same bag for me.

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GlamGiraffe · 22/04/2020 22:14

10% for bolognese but i make it with pork mince added. It gives a richer flavour and seems to get better reviews by everyone. It's common in italy to use a combination.
Beef with all the fat removed takes away a lot of the flavour.

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YappityYapYap · 22/04/2020 22:14

Usually 5% but I can't seem to get that at the moment so I'm using the 12.5% and just draining away the excess fat once the mince is browned. If I make burgers, I use the 12.5%

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gavisconismyfriend · 22/04/2020 22:41

5%. Then cook the mince in wine for 10 mins after you’ve browned it and add a beef stock cube. Depth of flavour and not greasy - perfect!

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