With rising costs of beef and health concerns over eating too much red meat, there are plenty of reasons to try to do more with less ground beef.Stretching ground beef in your favorite recipes can help you save money and make the dishes a little leaner and healthier.While you can cut down on the amount of ground beef that you use in most recipes, it's usually best to mix extenders, such as breadcrumbs, rice, or veggies, into the beef so it goes further.If you want the tastiest burgers, meatloaf, and meatballs possible, you need to handle it a little differently than regular ground beef.
Step 1: Eggs can be used as a binder with dry extenders.
You can mix in a variety of foods with ground beef to stretch it.Some type of binder is needed to hold the mixture together for burgers, loafs, or balls.Eggs have the ability to hold the meat mixture together when heated.If you want to stretch your ground beef, use 1 egg for every 12 pound of it.If you prefer, you can use egg substitute.If you prefer, you can replace every whole egg with two egg whites.
Step 2: There is a mixture in the breadcrumbs.
breadcrumbs are one of the most common ground beef enhancers.They work well in meatballs and can be enjoyed in burgers as well.When trying to stretch the meat, some recipes call for mixing equal amounts of ground beef and breadcrumbs.That may change the texture more than you want.If you need to stretch the beef further, start with a smaller amount.Wholewheat breadcrumbs are usually a better option for stretching ground beef.
Step 3: Put oats into the beef.
Whole or rolled oats can be used to stretch ground beef in your favorite recipe.Once you cook the meat, they won't be noticed.Oats are high in fiber and can help make your meal more filling.You can use whole or rolled oats for every pound of ground beef.bulgur wheat is a type of whole wheat and can be used to stretch ground beef in dishes.A pound of ground beef can be replaced with a cup of bulgar wheat in a recipe.
Step 4: You should include some beans.
Adding precooked beans to your ground beef can help stretch it.Black and pinto beans mix well with beef.Brown the beef first and then add the beans.An equal amount of beans and ground beef can be used in most recipes.If you don't like beans, you can mix precooked lentils with raw ground beef.If they are mixed, you can cook it like regular ground beef.For every pound of meat, use 1 cup (75 g) of cooked lentils.
Step 5: Stir in some vegetables.
Adding some vegetables to the ground beef can make it go further.Before shaping it, grate carrots, zucchini, and onions and mix them with the raw beef.For every pound of ground beef, add 34 to 1 cup (40 to 50 g) of vegetables.If you want to use mushrooms with ground beef, you should saute them first so they release their liquid and don't add too much to the meat.Adding caramelized onions to the ground beef can give it a rich flavor.Other root vegetables can be used as an extender for ground beef.Fruit can be a good choice for ground beef.It is possible to mix crushed pineapple into meatballs, finely chopped blueberries, or shredded Granny Smith apples.
Step 6: The beef and rice should be mixed.
If you are making sloppy joes, you can add some cooked rice to the beef to help extend it.Brown the meat and drain the grease before mixing it with the rice.For every pound of ground beef, add 1 cup of cooked rice.White and brown rice can be used as an enhancer for ground beef.
Step 7: There are fresh herbs in the dish.
Fresh herbs have a bright taste that can help balance out any flavor that might be lost by cutting back on meat.Before you cook the ground beef, add fresh herbs such as basil or parsley to it.Basil, parsley, and cilantro are good ingredients for burgers.Rosemary, basil, parsley, and other herbs can be used in a recipe.They can work well for meatballs.
Step 8: To season the dish, use bold dried herbs and spices.
If you cut back on ground beef, the right spices and dried herbs can make up for any lost flavor.Season the ground beef with spices and dried herbs, such as red pepper and marjoram, before making meatballs.Steak seasoning can be used for burgers.It's possible to use red pepper, cayenne, garlic, onion, steak seasoning, dried oregano, and dried basil.Red pepper, garlic, onion, dried oregano, and dried basil can be used in meatballs.
Step 9: Hard cheeses should be added to the dish.
Adding some hard cheese to the ground beef will help boost the flavor so you don't notice that there's less meat.Both of the options are ideal.If you want to make meatballs, you can use Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano, but they can also be used for burger or meatloaf mixes.
Step 10: Sauces and condiments can be added to the dishes.
It is possible to make up for any missing flavor from the decrease in meat by mixing a little sauce or your favorite condiments into raw ground beef.Add some condiments to your ground beef mixture.Don't add too much of the sauce or condiments.It's possible to lead to meatballs and burgers that are too moist.A good rule of thumb is to use 15 to 30 liters for every pound of meat.
Step 11: Go for a leaner grind.
If you want to make your meals a little healthier, you should start with a leaner cut of ground beef.Leaner cuts are lower in saturated fat and calories so you don't have to feel bad about using them in your recipes.The leanest cuts of ground beef are ground sirloin and ground round.The ground round has about 12% fat.Regular ground beef has 25% to 30% fat.
Step 12: Use less ground beef.
The easiest way to stretch your ground beef is to use less of it.If a recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef, cut it down to 1 pound.You won't notice the difference in most cases.If you are worried that your dish will be lacking, try mixing in more of other ingredients, such as vegetables or starches, to make up for the ground beef that you have cut.You don't need as much ground beef if you shape your patties, loaf, or balls slightly smaller.
Step 13: Don't mix the beef.
It is important to be careful not to over mix raw ground beef.It can lead to tough burgers and meatballs if you mix it too much.Use clean hands to mix the ingredients.
Step 14: Turn the beef gently.
When you add ingredients to the ground beef, it is usually more fragile than straight beef.To make the burgers, loaf, or meatballs, lightly pat the meat mixture to form the patties, and then gently flip them with a spatula to avoid breaking them.If you pack the burgers or meatballs too tightly, they may fall apart.Place the ground beef mixture in the pan without packing it tightly against the sides.