What is the difference between ground beef and ground chuck?

Question

shopping for hambuger

Answer 1

Ground Beef

Also indexed as: Ground Round, Hamburger

See also: Recipes with Beef

Cooks find endless uses for this all-American classic.

Varieties
Buying and storing
Availability
Preparation tips
Nutritional highlights
Ground beef is a quick and easy staple of the American diet, the key ingredient in hundreds of casseroles and classics such as chili and meat-based spaghetti sauce. In the United States, ground beef often finds its way into hamburgers. Although hamburgers take their name from the German city of Hamburg, the familiar ground beef patty served in a bun seems to have been launched in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Varieties
Ground beef comes mostly from the chuck, sirloin, and round, though the taste depends more on the amount of fat than on the cut of origin. The fat content of ground beef varies, so it’s important to check the label for this information. A higher fat content makes for a juicy hamburger. For a casserole, where the hamburger is cooked and the fat poured off, a lower-fat ground beef might be a better choice.

Regular ground beef usually contains 25% fat by weight.

Lean ground beef usually contains 10% fat by weight.

Extra-lean ground beef usually contains 5% fat by weight.

Buying and storing tips
Ground beef should have a bright red color and be free of gray or brown patches. Beef normally has a purple-red color but takes on a cherry-red hue, known as the “bloom,” when exposed to oxygen. While the exterior is bright red, the interior of the meat retains the darker color. Vacuum-packed beef also shows this purplish color. With lengthy exposure to oxygen, ground beef will turn brown. This is a sign that the beef is no longer fresh and needs to be used immediately.

Check the label for fat content and the “sell-by” date. The label may also tell you which part of the animal the hamburger comes from, for instance, the round or chuck. For the leanest possible beef, buy a lean cut of meat and ask your butcher to trim the fat and grind it for you.

Store ground beef in its original packaging in the coldest part of the refrigerator, where it will keep for 1 to 2 days. It may be frozen in this packaging for up to two weeks. For longer freezing, wrap the meat in heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer paper, or freezer bags. Ground beef will keep 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Defrost it in the refrigerator, allowing 12 hours for thick hamburgers. Cook as soon as possible after defrosting.

Availability
Ground beef is commonly available in grocery stores.

Preparation, uses, and tips
Because it is finely ground, this type of beef is particularly vulnerable to bacteria. It should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (70°C).

To pan-fry, heat skillet over medium heat. Use ground beef formed into patties or meatballs, or crumble to cook for casseroles. Cook ground beef on the heated skillet, turning to cook all outer surfaces. Ground beef patties take 10 to 12 minutes and are done when the interior is brown but still juicy.

To broil, preheat the broiler and form ground beef into 1/2-inch (1.3cm) patties. Place on a broiler pan in the oven, 3 to 4 inches (7.6–10.2cm) from the heat source. Broil, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C).

To grill, form into 1/2-inch (1.3cm) patties and place on the grill directly over the heat source. Cook, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C), approximately 11 to 13 minutes.

To bake, combine ground beef with onions, chopped vegetables, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper. Form into a loaf and place in an ovenproof dish. Cook at 350°F (180°C) for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C).

To microwave hamburgers, form ground beef into patties, place on a greased baking dish, and microwave on high 4 to 10 minutes, depending on quantity. Halfway through cooking, turn patties and drain drippings. To microwave bulk ground beef, place beef in a bowl, then cook on High, 9 minutes per pound (445g). Stir several times during cooking.

Nutritional Highlights
Regular ground beef (broiled), 3 oz. (85.05g)
Calories: 245.6
Protein: 20.4g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 17.5g
Fiber: 0.0g


*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

Answer 2

Ground beef is simply beef that has been ground or finely chopped. The price of ground beef is determined by the cut of meat from which it was made and the amount of fat incorporated into the mix. High-fat mixtures are less costly but will shrink more when cooked.

The least expensive product is sold as regular ground beef or regular hamburger. It's usually made with trimmings of the less expensive cuts such as brisket and shank, and can contain up to 30 percent fat.

The moderately priced ground chuck is the next level of ground beef. Because it contains enough fat (about 15 to 20 percent) to give it flavor and make it juicy, yet not enough to cause excess shrinkage, ground chuck is the best meat for hamburgers.

The leanest (around 11 percent fat) and most expensive of the ground meats are ground round and ground sirloin. Though they're great for calorie watchers, they become quite dry when cooked beyond medium-rare.

Answer 3

They are all different cuts of beef. The "round" comes from the shoulder and "chuck" comes from the rump. Both of these muscle groups get worked a lot when the animal is moving around, and consequently they can be quite tough and but also very flavourful. Because it generally takes more time and effort to turn tougher cuts into good eats, these are usually fairly inexpensive as well. The sirloin is from the hip area, just forward of the chuck, and it doesn't get worked as much so it is more tender (and expensive) but somewhat less flavourful than the other two. Grinding the meat breaks down all the connective tissues in hard-working muscles and tenderizes it to a large degree. If you're going to make burgers or meatloaf or something along those lines, a good way to go is to blend a couple of different cuts to get a balance of tenderness and flavour. Try half sirloin and half chuck, see how you like it and then adjust future recipes as you like.

Answer 4

The fat content. Ground beef can be up to 30% fat. Ground chuck is much lower; more like 15%.

Using "ground chuck" and "ground sirloin" has become almost obsolete; the government regulates on fat content now. Higher fat content usually means that more grease will have to be drained off when you are done, but the taste that some fat adds contributes to flavor. A burger or meat loaf made with a lower percetnage of fat will shrink less.

Answer 5

Ground chuck IS ground beef...ground from a specific part of the animal, the front shoulder.

Answer 6

Beef is any meat part of the bovine, it can be the neck, shoulder, leg and bits and pieces of trimmings.
Chuck is a particular part of the animal, namely the shoulder.
The ground beef would normally have a higher fat content and cost less.

Answer 7

ground beef is both a generic term and a term for the ground beef with the highest fat %.
ground chuck refers to ground beef made only from the specific cut of beef called chuck.
for hamburgers, buy the highest fat %....the fat is what makes them juicy and VERY tasty.

Answer 8

Anything "chuck" comes from the chuck portion of the cow.

See map of a cow here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beef_cuts.svg

I'm not sure how much better chuck ground tastes. It probably tastes as good as the price is different :)


Here's more reading about chuck meat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_steak

Answer 9

Ground chuck is supposed to be better: made of chuck parts of the beef and less fat.

Answer 10

ground chuck has more fat in it. If you want a really good hamburger take a few steaks to the butcher and have them ground. This way you know what it is you are eating.

Answer 11

ground beef is just hamburger, ground chuck is ground steak, the good stuff.