Using Value/Basic Minced Beef

gilesdavies

Just wanting other peoples views in using basic and value minced beef from the supermarkets for cooking...

Like everyone at the moment trying to find ways to cut back on costs and reduce outgoings... I use a lot of mince in chilli-con-carnes, bolognese, cottage pie, lasagne, etc...

I have noticed how cheap the Basic Mince is Sainsburys - 98p for 400g and £1.19 for 500g in Tesco. The mince looks OK in the packaging, but when I read the fat content on the packet compared to the lean mince I usually buy for £3.29 it is very high!

I was wondering if I used this and fried in in no additional fat and drained the fat off with pouring over boiling water in a culender, would this make it compariable to the lean mince?

Also what is it like? Is it gristlely or got the texture and taste of other mince?

flea72

tbh when using it in something like a bolognese, you would be hard pressed to taste a difference between value mince and lean mince, once you add all the herbs, toms, etc.

but you say you wont add extra fat to cook it - is that what you normally do then? buy lean mince, and then cook it in fat?

cheaper mince, usually releases more water/fat, but just straining it once cooked is enough to remove that, i dont think you would have to rinse it in hot water, as that would wash away all the flavour

most supermarkets do two packs of steak mince for £6 (or under), i think if i was looking for decent mince, i would buy this, rather than the lean variety - or if you want to stick with the lean mince, just bulk it out so it goes further. there are lots of threads on what you can use to bulk mince, ie oats, veg, soya, extra toms, etc.

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flea72

gilesdavies wrote: »

Also what is it like? Is it gristlely or got the texture and taste of other mince?

sorry me again. no its not gristly, id say its softer in texture than expensive mince. i know when i use steak mince, it doesnt break down that quickly, and stays in the 'worms' rather than turning granular like cheap mince does

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Enterprise_1701C

We always use value mince (unless the other type is on offer at a better price), use it for chlli, bolognese, cottage pie etc, with no problem. I brown it off with no extra fat then drain the fluid off with a turkey baster! Never noticed a problem with it.

betterlife

i think mince is one of the things i wouldnt buy basic of, more fat, more water, more tubes (yuck) i buy better quality and pad out with lentils/oats /veg etc, in fact ive only just started eating it myself as i always use to mince my own (you no whats in it then. ) you could always try turkey mince much healther and cheap hth

jcr16

i tried it once, and it was horrid. had hard gristly lumps in. the amount of fat was last thing on my mind. ( i try these things once)

i've heard of peeps saying it is fine as long as you boil it !!! that seems weird. surely it would go rubbery when boil?

we use alot of mince, but for us personally i'd rather use less lean steak mince and enjoy it , than alot of cheaper horrible mince.

tessie_bear

i have found that coop 3 packs for a tenner mince is very good...often reduced as well...i have used value mince as well and have found if i drained the fat off it was ok hth

katylou6180

Hi all,

I just thought I would pass on this tip that I found on O/S ages ago, we always used to use basic mince and tip away what seemed half the volume in fat!

If you are using mince "in things" eg most things that you've quoted, then use half the quantity you would normally use, buy a cheap 50p bag of "value" oats (like the type you would use for porridge) and chuck in a handful or so of oats- by the time your sauce for spag bol etc is ready you cannot taste the difference between that and "plain mince"!

I never believed it myself until I tried it but honestly it does work, I now buy a decent pack of mince (yes it may be double the price but only a third of the fat..which i tip off wherever possible) and this does two meals instead of one, or maybe bulking up with veggies would work just as well

However, that's just my personal choice- I have always found value mince to be "ok" as long as you add no extra fat and drain when "dry frying" for whatever dish you are using...you just don't get as much and it's not as waistline watching as some

Good luck whatever you decide

xx

suzie_wong

I recently bought minced beef from the butcher for the first time- I really didn't think I would notice any difference, but I was in the butchers anyway, and as it was only slightly dearer than Mr T, I decided to give it a go. It is COMPLETELY different! When you cook it, literally NOTHING comes out of it- no fat, no water- I couldn't believe the difference. I made 2 shepherds pies with half a kilo of the mince, onions, tomatoes etc, and they were absolutely delicious.
I would now rather have mince a little less often and use the butchers, than go back to even the 'better quality' supermarket mince.:D

geordie_joe

jcr16 wrote: »

i've heard of peeps saying it is fine as long as you boil it !!! that seems weird. surely it would go rubbery when boil?

I boil (simmer not boil) mince, won't have it any other way. I am 51 and have always 'boiled' it, as did my mother and grandmother.

tanith

I wouldn't buy value mince either its one thing I don't feel comfortable economising on... I like to dry fry it with onions I find it much tastier than boiling ...