What kind of ground meat do you use?

[BlueMoose]

When a recipe calls for some type of ground meat, what do you use? I always use ground turkey. On occasion, I have used soy crumbles.

[wallycat]

I haven't used "ground meat" in ages....though I'm debating about starting.

I usually use "gimme-lean" beef or sausage flavored soy product from Light Life. You'd SWEAR it was real meat :D ;)

[valchemist]

I just use whatever the recipe calls for. ground beef or ground turkey, usually. I have used the veggie crumbles, too. so anyway, I didn't vote since I am not "loyal" to any of the three.

[little_bopeep]

Can't help it--I'm a carnivore. Gimme beef 95% of the time, and turkey the remainder.

[Molli526]

I'm like Val- I use whatever the recipe calls for.

[HeatherTx]

I use ground beef but I use the 96% lean kind.

[Chefzhat]

Newly hooked on ground chicken, I use it in everything!

[JHolcomb]

Depends...for burgers, sirloin (but never over 90% fat). For sauces and chili, 96% lean ground beef. For meatloaf and meatballs, a combo of ground sirloin and ground turkey breast.

[AD]

I would never try a substitute for ground beef. I usually use Longhorn 98% fat-free beef; sometimes I'll get Nolan Ryan's 96% lean beef too, depending on which grocery store I am at. Before those were available, my mother had always used lean ground sirloin, which I ate growing up. Even more than 12 years ago, my mother had always bragged about using the leanest beef available.

I don't see why people still use ground turkey or chicken when ground beef is available that is actually leaner than either. I suppose cost or personal taste preference may play a role. I realize some people are vegetarians and don't eat ground chicken, beef or turkey. However, I often wonder if there is there something about eating beef besides the fat content that is unhealthy?

Also, I'm stumped as to why my 98% lean beef shrinks from half a pound to 4 ounces after cooking! I've used a skillet and grill with the same result. Could it all be water?

[beckms]

it depends. If I'm making something where the meat isn't disguised, like tacos, I used beef, because I think turkey is too bland. But if it's something like meatloaf or lasagna or something that has sauce, turkey is my choice. We always have a pound of each in the freezer.

[BlueMoose]

The reason why I always use turkey is just because I don't eat beef. I always use it when I'm making something that's just for my husband, too, because I really dislike the smell of beef. Besides, he thinks he's pretty lucky even to get turkey around here, because I don't use that much either. ;)

[sneezles]

I voted other because I use ground buffalo in addition to beef. We had bought half a buffalo and about half of that was ground (about 100 pounds). When we had gone through about half of that we had a steer processed and had 225lbs of ground meat. The buffalo is in 1lb packs and the beef in 2lb ones so it really depends on how much I need.

[JanetJ]

I usually use what the recipe calls for, but I have recently started experimenting with using ground chicken or turkey in place of beef.

[Angela]

Ground chicken/turkey. I just tried Morningstar Farms vegetarian ground whatever and it was really good. I'll probably be using that for me and go back to ground beef for my meat eating fiance.

[slknight]

Ground turkey here. I almost always use that regardless of what the recipe calls for. Every now and then I will use ground beef in combo with ground turkey if the recipe calls for more than one kind of ground meat.

[MrsReber]

We use ground venison mixed with a little bit of pork. The venison is very lean so the pork keeps it from drying out. DH usually stocks the freezer each fall (my mighty hunter). So I don't even have to buy any chop meat at the store- unless we're making food for our families. Some family members are a bit scared of the venison, though we have sneaked it by them on occasion :D!

[Carolina68]

I didn't vote, since I use all 3.

[penguin]

I voted for Ground Turkey. I don't eat beef either so I substitute ground turkey whenever a recipe calls for it. I would like to try some of the soy products, but I don't think DH would like it. Maybe some day I will try to sneak it in and see if he notices. I have a feeling he would though. I doubt the taste is that similar. Any opinion on the taste from those in the know???

[shscharles]

Normally I mix ground turkey with ground sirloin. The turkey is a little bland for me and the sirloin perks it up. Actually, since the kids left home we don't use much ground meat. But my husband is very fond of Salisbury Steak (CL, several months ago, "Man with a Pan" article, wish I could be moe specific but I'm at work and can't look it up.)

[Peggy C.]

I voted other since I use all 3, and also ground pork.

[LaraW]

I voted ground turkey because that is what we usually use, however, for making hamburgers, we used 90% lean ground beef. Most other things we use ground turkey. I like it because it is less expensive and I don't think it tastes different than beef. DH got me started on ground turkey in college when I was a poor student.

[JenZen]

Ground venison. :)

I think ours is mixed with a little pork fat this year. Like Mrs. Reber said, it's really lean stuff. We have to mix oatmeal with it to make burgers on the grill.

[ourthreegirls]

I'm the same as you Chrisi...I almost always use turkey (ok well ground chicken too). I haven't eaten beef in years...just doesn't appeal to me...don't like the taste or smell either. And of course DH LOVES beef, but is willing to eat what I cook otherwise he'd be eating bowls of cereal for dinner ;-) A couple of years ago I substituted the soy stuff for the turkey in a pasta dish. He didn't even notice a difference! Stupid me I fessed up after he ate it all and now he's more cautious about what he eats when I cook :-(

Jennifer

[penguin]

Jennifer - your DH didn't notice the difference between the soy stuff & turkey? Maybe there is hope for my DH yet (he also has a love affair with beef). Does the soy stuff have the same texture as ground turkey?

Amy

[ourthreegirls]

Amy...it was actually just mixed in my spaghetti sauce so he couldn't really see the texture. It is a lot dryer (or drier? whatever lol) than ground meat, but like I said since it was in a sauce he didn't notice. AND he'd had a beer or two before he ate it I'm sure...that usually seems to make a difference ;-)

Jennifer

[wallycat]

Sneezles...I'm jealous you have access to so much buffalo!! We do have it here, but it's usually so expensive...at least the places I find it. :rolleyes:

[Jill123]

I voted beef, even though we use a lot of buffalo. I use 96%-98% lean ground beef OR ground buffalo whenever it calls for ground beef (and usually when it calls for ground turkey, too!)

I use beef mostly for the iron -- there's not a whole lot in turkey/chicken.

[pilgrim719]

Well, I voted for soy crumbles since that's what we use about 90% of the time. We use the soy crumbles in everything except when we make hamburgers or things like meatballs and meatloaf. Even the meatballs we've done 1/2 soy and 1/2 ground beef though, and it worked well. You can't even taste the difference in most things (using the brand we buy anyway). We're not vegetarians, but I'm also not a huge fan of eating too much meat (both because I've heard too much about what goes in it and also because I tend to feel sluggish after eating a lot of meat-filled meals), but we like to use soy crumbles when we can to cut down on saturated fat and cholesterol. When we use real ground meat, it's usually 90% lean beef or turkey.
Kari

[penguin]

pilgrim719, I'm curious to know what brand of soy crumbles you buy. This thread has piqued my interest in soy crumbles and I think I might want to try them.:D

[Varaile]

Another venison user here! Ours is mixed with pork also.

I would love to eat more buffalo. I think I read somewhere that buffalo is leaner in fat than chicken, turkey, lamb and beef! The buffalo producers assoc is working to get more meat in the stores in this area. Sadly, it's still cheaper to purchase top ground sirloin...:(

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by penguin
pilgrim719, I'm curious to know what brand of soy crumbles you buy. This thread has piqued my interest in soy crumbles and I think I might want to try them.:D

We use Yves Veggie Ground Round. It comes in 2 flavors, Original (tastes like ground beef) and Italian (tastes like ground Italian sausage). I've tried other brands (Boca, Light Life) and like this one the best. It has the closest texture and taste to real ground beef, and it's also really easy to use. I mean it just crumbles easily right out of the package without having to work at breaking it up like with the Light Life brand. Boca soy crumbles are okay too, but you can tell more that it's a soy product and not real ground beef, for those of you that are trying to sneak it into a meal ;) My mother made her signature lasagna with Yves soy crumbles and her fiance couldn't even tell it wasn't ground beef (he's not really open to trying "fake meats"). Hope this helps!
Kari

[katygirl]

I would say I am 50/50 with turkey and ground beef. Sometimes, I just REALLY want a burger made with ground beef and I just go with it, other times a turkey burger is what I want. I wish I had a big freezer so I could stock up on both when they are on sale.

[penguin]

Thanks for the info, Kari! I'm going to the supermarket tonight so I will see if they have the Yves brand. I'm one of the ones trying to sneak in the soy, so the more it tastes like ground beef, the better!:D Now I just have to figure out which recipe I want to add it into!

[Anne]

Another venison user here - unless we get a caribou or a moose. Can't beat the flavor and very low fat.

[finelauren]

We used Ground Turkey for just about everything expect when my bf and his son want hamburgers. I only at beef about 3 times a year when my bf makes his AWESOME hamburgers. Otherwise I eat a veggie burger :-)

[ourthreegirls]

Penguin...I'm not Pilgrim :D but thought I'd respond anyway...the kind I used back then...and actually not even sure it's soy (I just assume it is lol) was Morningstar Farms. You can buy it in the same section as veggie burgers at your grocery. It comes in both the tubes (like ground beef or turkey) that you have to cook first, or precooked crumbles in a bag. HTH

Jennifer

[Mickey17]

I haven't tried anything but the really lean beef. Does the turkey work well in meatballs and meatloafs? Maybe I will try to buy some and mix it half and half next time.

[Jill123]

For those interested, here's a link to some buffalo nutrition info:

http://www.buffalogal.com/nutrition.html

Buffalo Gal also sells buffalo, but I've never bought from them.

Buffalo is more expensive than ground sirloin (here in Denver, it's about $5 a pound), but this site explains that it's more dense; therefore, you don't need as much as you would if you used beef.

[penguin]

Jennifer - thanks for the reply. :) They didn't have Yves brand at my grocery store so I might try Morningstar instead. I'm also going to look around for the crumbles at some other grocery stores. I only saw the tube kind and I think that was by LightLine (or something like that).

Mickey17 - ground turkey works great in meatballs. I'm sure it would also work well in meatloaf but I have never tried it. I'm not really a meatloaf gal ;) Give it a try!!!

Amy

[JHolcomb]

Originally posted by Mickey17
I haven't tried anything but the really lean beef. Does the turkey work well in meatballs and meatloafs? Maybe I will try to buy some and mix it half and half next time.

Turkey works very well in meatballs. I mix half lean ground sirloin (about 90% lean) with 1/2 ground turkey BREAST. I would make them all sirloin, but DH really likes the ground turkey in there. He thinks it makes them less greasy. Yoyu have to mix it up really, really well though. Be prepared to use the food processor or to stick your hands into cold raw meat for several minutes. Anyway, if using the turkey I don't use anything leaner than sirloin most of the time--the sirloin that I get has really, really good flavor that I think is missing in some of the leaner stuff I get (which I do use in sauces and soups and tacos with no problem).

[granolagirl]

Usually ground beef.

[Wendy w]

I use ground beef so seldom so I want the best when I do. I learned this from Curleytop: when sirloin goes on sale, I buy some and grind it in the grinder attachment for the KA mixer. It sounds like a pain but it really isn't and the meat is nice and lean.

[carolyn.1]

Venison user

[Leisa M]

I voted other. I use ground deer meat most of the time. My dad deer hunts every year and so the meat is free. However, I don't see much difference in tase.:)I do use chicken when the recipe calls for chicken, however, beef gets replaced with deer.:p

[dcornelius]

Unless I am making smething spacifically turkey. I like the Laura's
ground beef we can get here. It is organic no antibiotics of all that other crap it has a really great flavor and a very low fat content like 95% lean. If ya get to lean then things get real dry, this stuff makes pretty good hambers even with the low fat content.

[Leisa M]

How do I get animations under my name? I am interested in that. I have one I would like to put in there.:D