dairy cattle at the end of their productive milk years. Unless your beef is labeled differently, most ground beef comes from all parts of the cow that can be salvaged.

There is a certain percentage of fat tha t’ s allowed in ground beef, which can account for the shrinkage in grilled burgers. To cut down on saturated fat, choose ground beef that is at least 20% lea n— this ration can be even higher in some cases.

Save regular ground beef for meat loaf or taco s— it can be pretty flavorless. For juicy hamburgers, choose ground chuck or sirloin . Chuck is a little fattier, but has more flavor. Sirloin is naturally leaner and benefits from adding seasonings before forming burgers. You can also choose beef ground from Angus and Kobe beef, which offer their own unique flavors and textures.

Do n’ t overmix ground beef when making burger patties. Use your hands and gently mix in any ingredients yo u’ re blending in. Overworking ground beef can make it tough. You also should let the patties refrigerate for 30 minutes or so to let the fat firm u p— the fat gets warm from contact with your hands. When the cold burgers hit the hot grill, the fat should start sizzling and take a few minutes to start melting, leaving its flavor behind.

Watch cooking temperatures on ground beef patties. Overcooked regular ground beef is dry and flavorless. The plump, juicy burgers you hope for need to be grilled slightly less than your preferred doneness. Take the patties off the grill before they reach their final temperatur e— the internal heat will continue to cook through and you will end up with it where you want it. By waiting to take it off the grill at the exact temp yo u’ ve chosen, that same carryover cooking will take place, and you will have an overdone burger.

Ground Chicken and Turkey

Freshness is the key to ground poultry. Make sure you check the use by dates on all packages. Make sure what you buy is fresh, never thawed. Buying it frozen and thawing it yourself would be the better option.

Poultry is highly susceptible to bacteria and must be kept below 40°F at all times. The longer it has been in a refrigerator case at a market, the less control there is over the temperatures. If you see blood running in the bottom of a package of ground turkey or chicken, be very careful. It may have spent too much time over the 40°F limit and might be harboring pathogens . If it has been frozen once and thawed, conditions at the market may not have been strictly controlled.

Most ground turkey and chicken is a blend of white and dark meat, often in a range of 70% white meat to 30% dark. While all breast meat is available, it is usually better to add moisture in some form, such as chutneys or relishes. A blend