The Name Game
Practically a pantry staple, ground beef can’t be beat when it comes to quick affordable family meals. Here is a quick guide to understanding some of the new names in Canadian ground beef at the meat counter.
The Basics
Most ground beef is made by grinding together trimmings from a variety of beef cuts, such as the flank, brisket plate, round, chuck and sirloin. All ground beef is labelled with the descriptions: Extra Lean, Lean,Medium or Regular, depending on the maximum fat content.
Meet Chuck
Some ground beef is made from individual beef cuts – not a mix. These are labelled with their cut name: Ground Chuck, Ground Round and Ground Sirloin. The beef cut used influences flavour – so Ground Sirloin tastes like Sirloin Steak for example. In fact, recent taste tests found Ground Sirloin and Ground Chuck were preferred over mixed ground beef. Use any of these grinds just as you would lean or extra lean ground beef.
And who is Angus?
Terms such as Angus, Kobe, Herford and Wagyu refer to a cattle breed and often represent a trademarked brand of beef. Ground beef described by breed name will contain, at the least, a set minimum percentage of the breed. Beef that bears a trademarked brand makes the promise to deliver the characteristics that the brand represents.
Savour the flavour
So enjoy the ground beef choices out there by introducing yourself to Mr. Chuck, Round or Sir Loin (that’s sirloin to us).