Question about cooking hamburger

[rodentraiser]

I haven't had any problem with this so far, but I became curious.

I'm not sure how you all cook your ground hamburger. When I want to get it all cooked for something like, say, taco meat or Hamburger Helper, I usually stick a pound in a pan and use a wooden whatsit to break it apart and turn it as it cooks. Now I don't leave the wooden utensil (looks like a wooden, unbent pancake turner) in with the hamburger to cook. Maybe I should. But instead I usually have it in a spoon holder or just tear off some paper towel to rest it on in between chopping the hamburger apart.

In doing so, there always seems to be a very very small amount of hamburger that sticks to the spoon, the spoon rest, or the paper towel. I always try to make sure all the bits get back in the pot, but I was wondering, what if I miss some? It takes a minuscule amount of ground hamburger to make a person sick if there is e. coli in it. What if I began to cook the hamburger, dropped a raw bit on to the spoon rest, and at the end, that bit was caught up on the spoon without me knowing and found its way back into the pot and wasn't cooked as I was done cooking the hamburger?

Is this something that worries anyone but me? And I may be making hamburger incorrectly too. I was never really taught how to cook. I just sort of winged it on my own.

 

[dr morbius]

I don't use a wooden spoon. I have a very old, sturdy plastic spoon with a flat edge that I cannot find a replacement for but won't give up, and I use it to make ground beef, sausage, rice, and a number of other things. But I don't think you should worry about the spoon. I think that if you're worried about contamination, you might want to de-emphasize "getting the small bits back into the pot." I also think it's perfectly fine to leave the spoon's edge against the cooking surface for a moment or two, habitually, before setting the spoon aside. That way, any "bits" will be cooked bits.

Do you not whack the spoon against the side of the pan before setting it aside?

Anyway, I've been browning beef for more than half a century. I've never made anyone sick. I think you perhaps are worrying too much.

 

[taxlady]

I have never worried about that. And, to the best of my knowledge, I have never made anyone ill. I too have been cooking ground beef for well over half a century.

 

[dragnlaw]

The small bits that could possibly make it back into the dish would be cooked by the residual heat anyhow. If it was a big enough piece to cause harm you would certainly see it. IMHO

 

[Andy M.]

Browning ground beef is usually the first step in a recipe. Subsequently, it's mixed with other ingredients and cooked further. If you stir the cooking mixture with the spatula, there should be no issue. As for the spoon holder, don't use it.

 

[CarolPa]

I probably shouldn't say this, but I have been eating raw ground beef for most of my life and never got sick. I'm 78 and probably started this as a teen. Everyone yells at me for it. I've also eaten raw steak but I've heard ground meat is worse. Why did I never get sick? Just lucky?

 

[Andy M.]

I probably shouldn't say this, but I have been eating raw ground beef for most of my life and never got sick. I'm 78 and probably started this as a teen. Everyone yells at me for it. I've also eaten raw steak but I've heard ground meat is worse. Why did I never get sick? Just lucky?

Yes!

 

[jennyema]

I probably shouldn't say this, but I have been eating raw ground beef for most of my life and never got sick. I'm 78 and probably started this as a teen. Everyone yells at me for it. I've also eaten raw steak but I've heard ground meat is worse. Why did I never get sick? Just lucky?

Like ground beef from a supermarket? Or do you grind it yourself…?

 

[dragnlaw]

I have several friends that used to do that. They never got sick either. Yes, ground beef is risqué-r than raw steak, only insofar as the act of grinding it is exposing more to air which could potentially pick-up/carry/incorporate something nasty.

However, against all the screaming that will ensue when I say this - is/was the potential chance to pick-up worms.
On the other hand, meats now-a-days are less likely but it really depends on from where you are getting your meat.

LOL, squirt some lemon juice on it and call it ceviche!

 

[medtran49]

Craig's father and oldest brother used to eat raw ground beef sandwiches, with ground beef from the store, when he was a kid.

I believe the thinking now is there is more chance of bacterial contamination with ground beef from the grocery because of all the different meats from different sources processed at the store.

Also, when you grind at home, any contamination is  your bacteria that you are used to, unlike bacteria from the grocery.

We have carpaccio from time to time, mostly at home, rarely out. I partially freeze a solid piece of beef and thinly slice it at home.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I haven't had any problem with this so far, but I became curious.

I'm not sure how you all cook your ground hamburger. When I want to get it all cooked for something like, say, taco meat or Hamburger Helper, I usually stick a pound in a pan and use a wooden whatsit to break it apart and turn it as it cooks. Now I don't leave the wooden utensil (looks like a wooden, unbent pancake turner) in with the hamburger to cook. Maybe I should. But instead I usually have it in a spoon holder or just tear off some paper towel to rest it on in between chopping the hamburger apart.

In doing so, there always seems to be a very very small amount of hamburger that sticks to the spoon, the spoon rest, or the paper towel. I always try to make sure all the bits get back in the pot, but I was wondering, what if I miss some? It takes a minuscule amount of ground hamburger to make a person sick if there is e. coli in it. What if I began to cook the hamburger, dropped a raw bit on to the spoon rest, and at the end, that bit was caught up on the spoon without me knowing and found its way back into the pot and wasn't cooked as I was done cooking the hamburger?

Is this something that worries anyone but me? And I may be making hamburger incorrectly too. I was never really taught how to cook. I just sort of winged it on my own.

I never worry about it unless it's poultry, and I have been known to make Mexican ground fillings like taco and burrito meat, and especially chorizo, with ground turkey instead of pork. Turkey is cheaper, and with all the spices in it, you don't get any pork flavor anyway.

I use one of these

to make quick work of it. I got it at Wally World but Amazon has them too.

 

[Katie H]

I use/have used a Tupperware strainer to brown and drain the ground beef. I simply put the ground beef in the strainer, over a bowl to catch the liquid and fat, and process it in the nuker until done. Perfect every time and my trusty strainer still lives on, none the worse for wear. Still looks as good as new.

Here is what it looks like:

 

[dragnlaw]

I have like these. I use a chop chop action with one in each hand. Good therapy and does an amazing job. No need to scrape it off the potato masher (which some people use) or that plastic propeller looking thing. Used one of those at a friend's and didn't care for the action used to do it! What can I say.... love my chop chop.

 

[Andy M.]

I brown the ground beef then sop up excess fat with a folded paper towel in the edge of the pan.

 

[rodentraiser]

My understanding of the difference between steak and hamburger is, steak is usually sliced off the cow and has less chance of being contaminated by any other meat. But ground beef is usually ground with the meat of hundreds of cows and that makes the issue of cross contamination so high. If just one of those cows is sick, it can contaminate 8 tons of beef. That's why ground beef recalls include so much meat.

 

[dragnlaw]

That's why ground beef recalls include so much meat.

OMG... rodent you are just too funny!

 

[caseydog]

My understanding of the difference between steak and hamburger is, steak is usually sliced off the cow and has less chance of being contaminated by any other meat. But ground beef is usually ground with the meat of hundreds of cows and that makes the issue of cross contamination so high. If just one of those cows is sick, it can contaminate 8 tons of beef. That's why ground beef recalls include so much meat.

Solid cut of beef typically are only effected on the surface by a knife or cutting board. Which ground beef, and bacteria on the outer surface of the beef gets ground into the beef.

With a beef steak, the sear on the outside will kill the bacteria, even on a medium rare steak. With ground beef, it is best to cook your burger all the way through to medium well or better.

If you grind your own meat, and sanitize all your equipment well, your ground beef is lower risk than cheep, factory processed ground beef, where sanitary practices may, or may not be of the highest standards.

[Edited to clarify I'm referring to beef, and not just any meat]

CD

 

[jazzerlord]

I probably shouldn't say this, but I have been eating raw ground beef for most of my life and never got sick. I'm 78 and probably started this as a teen. Everyone yells at me for it. I've also eaten raw steak but I've heard ground meat is worse. Why did I never get sick? Just lucky?

The meat you were eating was probably super fresh and high-quality. If you got it from a trusted butcher, your chances of getting sick go way down. Or yeah, maybe you just got lucky. The way you personally handle meat could also make a difference.

 

[taxlady]

Solid cut of meat typically are only effected on the surface by a knife or cutting board. Which ground beef, and bacteria on the outer surface of the meat gets ground into the beef.

With a steak, the sear on the outside will kill the bacteria, even on a medium rare steak. With ground beef, it is best to cook your burger all the way through to medium well or better.

If you grind your own meat, and sanitize all your equipment well, your ground beef is lower risk than cheep, factory processed ground beef, where sanitary practices may, or may not be of the highest standards.

CD

While I agree with what you wrote, I want to point something out. Meat from chicken (and probably all poultry) is not as dense as red meat. Bacteria can penetrate further into the flesh of poultry than it can the flesh of red meat. That's one of the reasons we are warned strongly about good hygiene with raw chicken and why it has to be cooked to higher temperature to be considered safe to eat.

 

[caseydog]

While I agree with what you wrote, I want to point something out. Meat from chicken (and probably all poultry) is not as dense as red meat. Bacteria can penetrate further into the flesh of poultry than it can the flesh of red meat. That's one of the reasons we are warned strongly about good hygiene with raw chicken and why it has to be cooked to higher temperature to be considered safe to eat.

Fixed it.

CD