I am trying to make a quick beef bolognese for dinner tonight. I got lean ground beef (93/7) and browned it in my cast iron pan with olive oil.
the texture came out really tough and stringy. normally I can break up the meat while I'm cooking it but this time it seemed harder to break down. Is the beef bad? It's not supposed to expire until next week.
ps there are mushrooms and shallots in there as well.
by sbevs303
7 Comments
Lean ground beef tends to do that. You can use a potato masher to break it up while it’s cooking.
fat adds flavor and texture
No, it’s fine. It’ll break up more when you add it back into the bolognese sauce.
Mashed worms
Try 80/20 instead
Beef fat is better than olive oil for browning beef. Next time get 80/20 and skip the oil.
Probably badly ground. This happens most commonly when the grinder disc is not pressed hard enough against the blade. Other options include a very dull blade or a blade that’s installed flipped to the wrong side.