What's so ”plain” about mince?
Minced beef isn't new, it's been around since Russian medieval times. And in Britain – from the 15th to the 17th century – it was the key ingredient of mince pies... the ones we all eat at Christmas.
Mince was once a luxury food.
Before the advent of mechanical mincers, mince beef was served only in wealthy households. Because chopping up meat to make mince was a laborious, lengthy task, done by servants using special knives.
In theory any cut of beef can be used to make mince.
And that means there's no such thing as a cut that's “best for mincing”. It all depends on what you like and what sort of dish you're making.
It makes perfect sense to mince Fillet steak if you want to make Steak tartare.
But it doesn't make sense to mince up Sirloin if you want a Bolognese sauce. You'll just spend extra money on a tender cut of beef – when mincing tenderises it anyway.
So your choice of mince should be about three things. Flavour. Fat. And texture.
Flavourful cuts tend to be tougher – and take longer to cook. Bolognese, for example, takes up to twelve hours to reach its full flavour potential and maximum tenderness. So Shin or Brisket would do fine.
But If you just want to fix up a quick evening meal Skirt mince does well, as it cooks much more quickly.
And if low-fat is important to you go for Topside, Shin or, leanest of all, Silverside.
Here's a guide to mince from different cuts of beef – and what they're good for
Chuck
As mince, Chuck is generally considered the most flavourful cut.
It's the cut most commonly used for gourmet burgers because of its relatively high fat content. It's got the perfect, 80 percent meat – 20 percent fat ratio that good hamburgers call for.
Plus, there's plenty of collagen, which adds even more flavour, as long as you cook it low and slow.
And there's a fringe benefit too, it's great for meatballs – as it holds it's shape really well.
- Fat: Medium-high
- Toughness: Medium
- Texture: Medium
- Collagen: Medium-high
- Slow cook time: Medium
Rump
Rump's a prime cut of beef – and considered one of the most flavoursome.
It's lean and fine grained – which is why, for some people, it comes close to the top in the health stakes, 20 percent pure protein. And only about 125 kcal per 100g. Good for meatballs and low fat mince.
- Fat: Low
- Toughness: Medium
- Texture: Fine
- Collagen: Medium
- Slow cook time: Short
Silverside
As mince Silverside works as a good all-rounder. Especially if you like Low-fat.
It's got very little fat or marbling – even leaner than Topside – which makes it a healthy cut with fewer calories.
Silverside is more about texture than flavour – but it takes really well to rubs and marinades, so it need never be bland.
- Fat: Low
- Toughness: Medium-high
- Texture: Fine
- Collagen: Medium-high
- Slow cook time: Medium
Topside
Great for ultra Low-fat mince.
Think of Topside mince as a cross between Rump and Silverside. It's got more flavour than Silverside and less fat than Rump.
But, because it's so lean, it can be prone to dryness. Which means, as mince, it's best cooked hot and fast.
- Fat: Low
- Toughness: Medium-high
- Testure: Fine
- Collagen: Medium
- Slow cook time: Short
Point end Brisket
Point end Brisket is generally considered to be less lean, but more flavourful and tender than Flat end brisket.
And, because of its beefy flavour – and higher fat content – this cut is often used for hamburgers.
It's also good for meatloaf and meatballs, and other dishes that need to hold their shape.
- Fat: High
- Toughness: High
- Texture: Coarse
- Collagen: High
- Slow cook time: Long
- Grill, pan/griddle time: Thermometer 74ºC
Flat end brisket
Flat end brisket is leaner than Point end brisket – but it's still got quite a high fat content. Mostly it's used as an all-round cooking mince.
It's got a good flavour and works well with dishes like Chilli con Carne that need long slow cooking. It's also good for dishes that call for a consistent texture and shape like meatballs or meatloaf.
- Fat: High
- Toughness: High
- Texture: Coarse
- Collagen: High
- Slow cook time: Long
Short rib
Short rib is often considered a premium cut. And it makes for a premium mince.
This Short rib comes from the chuck. So it's got the fat content of Ribeye steak and all the flavour of Chuck.
The meat's tough, but it's got a rich beefy flavour – which is why it's often added to burger mix – to boost up the flavour and add a bit of chew.
- Fat: High
- Toughness: High
- Texture: Coarse
- Collagen: High
- Slow cook time: Long
- Grill, pan/griddle time: Thermometer 74ºC
Skirt
Skirt steak is a lean and flavourful cut that's not too tough, but still has plenty of flavour.
It’s usually used as a steak or for fajitas and stir-fries. But it also makes for great mince as it cooks quickly and has a good texture.
- Fat: Medium-low
- Toughness: Medium-low
- Texture: Medium
- Collagen: Medium-low
- Slow cook time: Short
- Grill, pan/griddle time: Thermometer 74ºC
Shin
Shin is one of the toughest and leanest cuts of beef you can get – which also means it's packed full of flavour. After all, it's the same cut that's used for Osso Bucco.
In America Shin is called “Gravy beef” because the high levels of collagen break down into gelatine and make a delicious gravy.
Shin mince is only suitable for very slow cooking – but it's well worth the wait.
- Fat: Low
- Toughness: High
- Texture: Coarse
- Collagen: High
- Slow cook time: Long
Everyday mince
An all round mince made from beef trimmings.
When we butcher we cut to a specific weight which creates plenty of trimmings. The larger trimmings are used for Stir fry strips and the smaller ones go into the mince.
Mince for burgers
Hamburgers are typically made from mince that contains at least 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat. Some burgers – often the gourmet ones – go up to a 40 percent fat content. The fat holds the burger together, keeps it moist during cooking and adds flavour.
The most common cut used for high end burgers is Chuck. If you want to up it a bit you can create your own mix – just remember to keep at least a 20 percent fat content or you'll get dry, bland, burgers.
Use Chuck as the base and add some of these:- Point end brisket – adds buttery, grassy flavour. Can be tough so don't add too much. High-fat
- Short rib – adds a deep richness. High-fat
- Hanger steak – adds a good “steaky” flavour. Low-fat
- Rump – adds extra beef flavour. Low-fat
Mince Hygiene
You're safe if you eat a rare steak – but you're not safe if you eat rare mince. Or a rare burger
Here's why.
Bacteria is found on the surface of most meat – but not below the surface. When you cook a steak any pathogens on the surface are destroyed by the heat. So you can have it as rare as you like and it won't be a problem.
But when meat is minced any bacteria on the surface gets incorporated into the mince. To neutralise them a burger (or any mince) must be cooked to well done. So make sure the core temperature reaches at least 74ºC .
The one exception to this rule is if you sous vide your mince or burger. That’s because pasteurisation of meat is a function of temperature over time. If you heat meat to a core temperature of 74°C you'll kill the bacteria in seconds – but if you heat it to a core temperature of 57°C for at least 40 minutes you'll destroy 99.99997% of the pathogens.
Safety
- Make sure mince is cooked to well done and all of it reaches a temperature of 74°C.
- Cook mince as soon as you can after defrosting
- Only thaw mince in a microwave if you're cooking it immediately
- Thawed mince must be cooked before refreezing
- Thaw frozen mince in your fridge on the lowest shelf – well away from ready-to-eat food
Why is mince sometimes brown in the middle and red on the outside when it comes out of the pack?
Oxygen in the air reacts with pigments in the meat (oxymyoglobin) to give it a reddish colour. If the mince in the middle hasn't been exposed to oxygen it remains a brownish colour – but once the oxygen gets to it the red colour will begin to return.
Marinades and rubs for mince
There are two ways to add flavour to mince
Dry Rub
A dry marinade adds flavour to mince. It can be a combination of any of these: pepper, bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary and spices. Dry rub mince for up to 24 hours in the fridge – but don't include anything acidic or alkali.
Marinade – with caution
Mince is well suited to marinades... but be careful.
Marinades that contain acids, enzymes or alkali don't actually tenderise meat but they can add a bit of flavour.
But, as marinades only penetrate meat to a depth of about 1 millimetre, it's only the surface that gets flavoured. And with mince that's quite a lot of surface.
The problem is... anything alkali (like bicarbonate of soda), acidic (like wine or vinegar) and some enzymes found in fruit – break down the collagen in meat. And that can quickly turn the surfaces they've been in contact with – which is a lot – mushy and unpalatable.
So, if you plan to use a “tenderising” marinade, on mince do it sparingly. And for no more than 30 minutes. Or your mince will end up with a mushy texture.
Better still, use a marinade or rub that doesn't contain anything acidic, alkali or any tenderising enzymes.
And don't forget to dry your mince thoroughly before you sear it – or you'll end up with boiled mince.
Acids and enzymes for marinades... a word of warning