Ground beef, or hamburger meat, is usually a very economical way to serve beef.  That's because since it is usually made from some high fat cuts of beef, perhaps end trimmings, that are less desirable and therefore less expensive.  The higher the fat content, the less expensive the ground beef will be.  The cuts of beef are finely chopped by knife or machine and mixed to the desired fat content.

The leaner cuts will be lower in fat and healthier, with less shrinkage.  It is easy to quickly overcook lean ground beef, so it is important to learn how to judge when it is done.  Overcooked ground beef will be dry, tough and flavorless.  The high fat ground beef varieties will cook down to a lower final cooked weight & volume but they will be more flavorful.  Grilling methods are often used with ground beef since the fat drippings will fall away and not be part of the final dish.  When I cook taco filling in a frying pan, I drain well the accumulated fat from the pan before I add the spices and other ingredients.  Grilling also adds a unique taste to the meat since its drippings will vaporize on the hot coals and produce flavored smoke that will flavor the meat in turn. Of all my ground beef recipes I think my family's favorite is my meatloaf recipe, with its Italian option.  This recipe originally comes from my mother, but I always use my Aunt Jane’s option which includes Italian cheeses and spices.  I make two at a time so that I have plenty of leftovers for another dinner plus some for meatloaf sandwiches. A good hamburger patty is more difficult to make than you would expect.  Most people pack them too hard, leaving a dense patty that is hard to cook properly.  Most dense patties end up dry and tough.  Please check out my tips for making a perfect hamburger patty every time, including the delicious onion soup mix option. Now that I have a home made taco seasoning recipe for ground beef filling, a store bought package of taco mix will never satisfy me again.  I use a collection of spices from my pantry, and I use a different combination of spices every time.  This recipe will give you a good start to make your own special taco seasoning mix. My Shepherd’s Pie recipe is a southwest USA take on a classic ground beef recipe.  With black beans, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon it is almost a Tex-Mex dish.  Add the sweet potatoes that this recipe calls for, and you have a baked ground beef pie like no other. So here are my ground beef recipes that I have been using for years.  Just select one of the delicious recipes at the left of this page....  

Beef Tacos

Hamburger Patties

Shepherd’s Pie

Mom’s Meatloaf

Beef Empanadas

Meatballs

Beef Chili with Beans

Sloppy Joes