To ask you if you boil and cool your mince meat before cooking it?

[BigRedBall]

Because this is what mine looks like after boiling and cooling, and I took the pic after removing another heaped spoonful. It's sheep mince from my local butchers which sells halal meat (not that makes a difference). It's always the same.

I wonder what makes it have such high fat content. I think it was meat from the leg.

Op, I'm assuming you drain the salted water after boiling and therefore remove just about anything good about your sheep mince. Why do this? Why, why why?

It doesn't save time, it ruins the meat and no one apart from you (and 2 mums) does this.

Please tell me why and put me out of my misery.

Your mum did it, didn't she?

OP are you of Caribbean descent?

WHY would you do this, OP? Can we suggest you some hobbies?

I think this must be a 70s thing because I remember my nan doing this. She would bring the mince to the boil then remove from the heat until the fat had solidified on the top, then she would remove the solid fat, then proceed to add carrots, onions, herbs etc to make a cottage pie mixture.

It's not something I've ever done myself. Her mince was yum though, definitely not bland

And vom at the thought of boiled mince

People do some weird shit to mince on MN.

Just read you last few posts op.

So you boil the mince in salted water, let it cool, somehow separate the water, mince and fat, fry the mince and add the salted water back in. Wow, what a faff that all sounds. Very time saving.

I wouldn't use the term "boiling" mince but when I make mince (as in mince & tatties...not for a chilli etc) I sweat off the onion and carrots for a while, add the mince, brown then add an oxo cube and some water and simmer the mince in the gravy. Does that count as "boiling"? If so I'm happy to say I boil my mince as it makes the best mince & tatties ever!

No John that is not boiling and not what the op is doing at all. You are safe from the wrath of mn.

Never boiled mince either! Unnecessary and will take out flavour. Am a recent veggie but still cook mince for the rest of the family and I think there would be some raised eyebrows if I was seen boiling mince! Plus the smell would be horrid, surely? And I don't mind the smell of meat cooking normally at all.

If we're being historical about it, could it not have been a frugal tip? I have no idea how mince has changed in price since the 1970s. But, I do know that offal, skirt, cheeks, and heaven knows what other cheap cuts of meat, have now disappeared.

Morrisons sells offal. Waitrose sells cheeks.

"I wonder what makes it have such high fat content. I think it was meat from the leg"

Lamb mince is generally 20% fat. I guess it is down to the animal itself - the fact that they have to put fat on over the winter months, etc. Some cuts of the meat will be fattier than others.

I dry fry mince over high heat in a high sided non stick pan to get it browned. Then as fat and moisture are released I have a bowl on the side into which I spoon out the liquid(s). This helps with the browning too, as it stops the mince steaming/boiling, which is the last thing I want. Then I add chopped onion, garlic, spices as the dish demands. Often the cooking liquid will involve tomatoes. The onions soften just fine in the fat that's left. Once the contents of the bowl harden, they go into the kitchen bin. Alternatively I saute the onion etc, add mince, brown (though this works less well than the method above), finish cooking dish. Once it's coolish the fat rises and I can pick off as much as I want with a soup spoon. Again this goes in the bin.

I usually buy it from a butcher and sometimes ask them to grind up some lamb shoulder, or beef rump, if I think the pre prepared trays look too fatty. Then it's as fresh as possible. I think we under use our butchers' skills. Use em or lose em!

"Because it cooks faster when I need it, if that makes sense. I just boil it beforehand as I'm going about my day."

"When I'm in a hurry I do cook it the "normal" way, and there's no difference in taste."

So, if you doesn't save you time, and it doesn't taste any different why bother?

Your curry is lacking in um anything curry like... Garam masala and coriander do not a curry make. Nor does fucking BOILED MINCE. Hot oil, mustard seeds til they pop, fresh curry leaves, minced garlic and ginger, ground nuts perhaps, meat, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, tomatoes or stock, yoghurt perhaps, fresh chilli, coriander to serve. Those are what is expect to see some of in a curry. You've made a mince stew of sorts. Lucky kids.

I've never boiled mince.

I brown it in a pan, add the veg and rain off any surplus oil after that

It might be worth pointing out that lots of the meals you cook with mince - curry, bolognese, chilli - benefit from a long, slow cooking time. The meat doesn't need it from a food safety point of view, but the sauce is much tastier if you cook it for a long time. Pre cooking would do nothing for those dishes.

My mind didn't even realise we were talking about curry here too. Mince curry?

And just garam masala and coriander

I suppose it doesn't matter really if your family likes it

No one here must be from yorkshire or used to listen to Galaxy- Hirstys daily dose had a mince boiler song, car stickers, the works

holy fuck

I like how people read only parts they wish to read! I did say I add other spices to the onions. They consist of chilli powder, turmeric, paprika . The garam masala I buy whole from indian supermarkets, and grind myself. I sprinkle this and the coriander at the end and put the lid on to let the smells and taste develop.

Why is everyone getting all het up with my cooking?

Boiled mince? Boiled bloody mince poor poor lamby mince.

keema is delicious when made properly. I use cumin, turmeric, onion, garlic and lots of ginger and fresh green chillies and most of what unidentified has said if I can pick it up in NI.

Must be slow cooked all day though.