My whole approach to ground beef changed after a trip to the butcher

I used to just grab the cheapest 80/20 pack at the grocery store every week, no questions asked. Then last month, I went to a local butcher in my town because I needed a specific cut for a recipe. While I was there, I asked him about ground beef, and he told me he could grind me a pound of chuck for $4.50, which was only 50 cents more than the store pack. The big thing was he said the store stuff often has a lot of added water and filler, so you're paying for that weight and it cooks down way more. I tried his fresh grind, and it's true. One pound from him makes the same amount of cooked meat as nearly a pound and a half from the old packs because there's so much less shrinkage. I'm actually spending less per meal now because I need less meat to feel full. Has anyone else switched to getting meat ground fresh and noticed a real difference in how far it stretches?

4 comments

4 Comments

emmar752mo ago

Oh man, you're totally right about the shrinkage. I switched to fresh ground chuck from my local spot last year and it was a game changer. I used to need two packs of the grocery store stuff for my chili, now one pound from the butcher is perfect. It doesn't turn into a puddle of grease in the pan, so you actually get to eat what you paid for. Feels way better too, like you're not getting ripped off with a bunch of water weight.

the_jason1d ago

You really think the butcher stuff is that much better? I get the point about water weight, but I've tested this exact thing and came away thinking the opposite. The grocery store meat I buy is 80/20 and if I brown it in batches and drain it properly, I get the same amount of cooked meat as the butcher chuck I tested side by side. Plus the fat that renders out is flavor I want in my chili, not something I'm paying extra to avoid. Is it possible you just weren't cooking the cheap stuff right?

robert_bennett292mo ago

Yeah the water weight thing is real, but @emmar75 it's not just water. A lot of that shrink is fat rendering out. Good chuck has a better fat ratio so it cooks cleaner. You end up with more meat in the bowl.

simonreed1d ago

I've got a buddy who works at a butcher shop and even HE says the store brands are fine for chili if you drain it right. I did a side-by-side test last month with my family and nobody could tell the difference in the final dish. You're paying extra for marketing, not magic.