Can't make a decent pan of mince these days!

Pipkin

Mince and potatoes used to be the easiest meal on the world to make, but these days I can't make a decent pan of mince to save myself..I'm not doing anything different than I used to, so is it the mince that has changed? Is it tasteless now? I've tried all the supermarkets except for Waitrose and M and S, and can't see any differences.
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dandy-candy

Steak mince is tasty but more pricey of course. It might be worth trying some independent butchers as they source locally from small farms, rather than the mass produced stuff the big supermarkets stock

Pipkin

I always use steak mince, but it doesn't come from the butcher I admit....I don't think there is a butcher for miles and miles round here.

Steve059

I know what you mean. However, usually nothing an OXO cube and/or a good "glug" of Worcestershire sauce can't fix.

BitterAndTwisted

It's the meat. Little of it is hung for long enough these days to have developed any flavour worth mentioning. If it's bright pink, buy elsewhere.

Seakay

killed young and not hung - I reckon a lot of what is sold as beef mince would have previously been categorised as veal!

Pipkin

Steve059 wrote: »

I know what you mean. However, usually nothing an OXO cube and/or a good "glug" of Worcestershire sauce can't fix.

I used 2 oxo cubes and a glug of brown sauce and it was still tasteless! Maybe it's just me.

GreyQueen

I've encountered this with supermarket-bought beef mince which seems curiously flavourless whereas my indy butcher's mince is fine. I suspect that it's too juvenile as the others say, and that the supermarket ones might be too lean.

It's the fat which gives a lot of meat its flavour. I cook it off in its own fat and don't add anything else, fat or oil wise.

A couple of bay leaves in the mince until serving is also helpful as a booster.

Butterfly_Brain

I use mince from the farm shop, a little more expensive but not that much and you don't have to use as much to make a tasty meal. I agree with Bitter and twisted and GQ supermarket meat has no flavour

GreyQueen

The crazy thing is, BB, that the indy butcher's mince is £4.40/ kilo which is comparable with the cheapest supermarket mince but it is a far superior product. I buy 500g a time, add a bit of oats/ lentils and have brilliant meals full of flavour.

The only times the indy butcher wasn't open (he's shut on Mondays) and I resorted to supermarket mince, I was frankly disappointed. Have organised myself better to get to the indy man.

Ladyluck1

I find Morrisons 'butchers' mince to be one of the best supermarket minces