Recipes With Hamburger Meat

Hamburger meat is, as you probably already know, ground beef that has been further processed and packaged for sale. It’s a common ingredient found in grocery stores and restaurants everywhere. The good news is that it’s also an extremely versatile food that can be used to make a wide variety of recipes.

That being said, there are some things you should know about hamburger meat before diving into your next beef-based meal. After all, the last thing you want to do is eat something that could potentially harm your health in some way. Luckily, when used correctly and in moderation, this type of protein can be quite beneficial.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of hamburger meat as well as its potential drawbacks and risks. We will also provide our readers with tips on how to use it to its full potential while remaining as safe as possible in doing so. So keep reading to learn more!

Why Use Hamburger Meat?

Hamburger meat is cheap, convenient, and readily available. It’s also relatively healthy compared to other types of red meat. If those reasons aren’t good enough for you, then allow us to elaborate a bit more.

Economical - First and foremost, ground beef is cheap. If you’re watching your wallet, you’ll definitely want to consider using this type of meat in your recipes. It’s not uncommon to find quality hamburger meat at grocery stores for as low as $3.99 per pound. That’s far cheaper than other types of red meat.
Convenient - Another reason to use ground beef is that it’s extremely convenient. That’s because you don’t have to go through the lengthy and messy process of actually butchering a whole piece of meat. Instead, you can head to your local grocery store and purchase pre-packaged hamburger meat that’s already been ground.
Healthy - Hamburger meat contains significantly less fat and cholesterol than other types of red meat. It’s also very high in protein, which we all know is essential for a healthy diet.

Nutrition Facts For Hamburger Meat

As we just discussed, hamburger meat is definitely healthier than other types of red meat. But how healthy is it, really?

Well, when it comes to calories and macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), this type of meat is similar to ground turkey. It has around 250 calories per 100 grams (3.5 ounces), which is actually lower than that of a chicken breast. It’s also low in carbohydrates and has a decent amount of fat (around 20 grams per 100 grams of meat).

When it comes to vitamins and minerals, however, burger meat is pretty average. It contains trace amounts of a few different vitamins, but nothing significant enough to affect your health in any meaningful way. So don’t go thinking that eating hamburger meat will suddenly make you super healthy.

The Good Stuff

There are many benefits associated with consuming hamburger meat, but the most significant one is the high amount of protein that it contains. As we already mentioned, this type of meat is high in protein, but just how high? Well, 100 grams contains about 20 grams of protein.

Another positive aspect of hamburger meat is that it is low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. When consumed in moderation and the correct way, ground beef can actually be very healthy.

The Bad Stuff

Unfortunately, not everything about hamburger is good. In fact, some people have raised concerns about the potential dangers of consuming this type of meat.

High in calories - While hamburger meat is low in fat, it also contains a high number of calories due to the high protein content. Consuming too many calories on a daily basis is a risk factor for developing obesity and other health issues.
The risk of contamination - Another potential problem with hamburger meat is the risk of contamination. Like pork and chicken, this type of meat can contain bacteria that can be harmful to humans if not cooked properly. The potential for contamination is even higher when eating hamburger meat that isn’t fresh.
Higher than average sodium - Sodium is something that you want to be careful about when eating meat. And hamburger meat has more than the average amount. A 100-gram portion contains about 1,200 mg of sodium, which is more than what’s recommended for one day.
Harmful chemicals - There are a few harmful chemicals found in hamburger meat, but luckily it’s very easy to avoid them.

How To Make Safer Hamburgers

Now that we have discussed the good and bad associated with hamburger meat, it is time to learn how to make safe hamburgers.

Choose leaner cuts - When at the grocery store, try to buy leaner cuts of meat. These are usually indicated by a lower fat percentage on the packaging. Look for a cut that has around 10 percent fat or less.
Trim fat after cooking - You should always try to trim as much fat as possible before cooking, but it’s even more important with hamburger meat. Fat is where most of the bad things are, so it’s important to remove as much as possible.
Cook to proper temperatures - Ground meat and chicken should be cooked to 165°F, while pork should be slightly higher at 170°F.
Avoid cross-contamination - Make sure to clean and sanitize your kitchen utensils and bowls after preparing each type of meat.
Limit your portion sizes - Eating too much of anything isn’t good for you, but it’s especially bad with hamburger meat.

Conclusion

Hamburger meat is a delicious and nutritious protein, but it can also contain dangerous bacteria that may lead to food poisoning. To ensure you avoid this, you should always eat this food when it’s fresh, clean your kitchen equipment after preparing each type of meat, and cook it to the proper temperature.

If you do this, you can rest assured that hamburger meat is a safe and nutritious addition to your diet.