Frozen mince

[hammerman]

For convenience, i tend to buy frozen beef mince to use with spahetti bolognaise and homemade burgers. It's Tesco's own stuff but not value mince.

Howver, i was horrified last night that once i'd browned the mince prior to doing a spg. bol. i then drained off the excess oil and was absolutely horrified at the amount of fat that i got out....which then set into a big solid lump in a spare cup.

Imagine all that fat floating around your body.

How often would you have this.....We usually have spag bol once a month. Can this be that bad for you...it really put me off !!!

[Beeney]

Have you tried using turkey mince instead? It has a much lower fat content and tastes just as good!

[cruella]

Hi hammerman
Why not buy fresh steak mince and freeze it yourself if you are not using it on that particular day. If it is bought fresh, you know what you are buying but always get lean steak mince. Less fat content in it.

[Gef]

For spag bol I always use lean steak mince which is less than 10% fat. Sometimes I add pork mince too which, I was surprised to discover, is less than 6% fat.

However for burgers I always use mince with about 20% fat. Most of it comes out during the cooking but it keeps the burgers moist.

Thanks to Delia Smith for most of that info.

[oldmegan]

Don't panic, hammerman! Whatever mince I buy, whether it is economy from Tessco or the really expensive lean stuff from our local butcher, whenever I cook it I find a load of fat leaking out. I just drain it off before I add the rest of the ingredients. Have done for years and we are all still walking around!! Don't delay yourself spag bol or chilli etc - life is too short!

[weas]

It is so bad !! the lowest fat mince is turkey mince add oxo ,you will not tell the difference

[geordie87]

The best tip i was given for mince is to cook in pan on a medium heat withe the lid on, dry frying it to start off with, the mince then creates its own juices,when it is fully cooked then strain all the excess fat.This came from weight watchers over twenty years ago!

[lafrancaise]

I'd go for cruella's idea; buy fresh steak mince (but low-fat) and freeze it yourself. I can tell you it's a load better than the fatty freezer mince you buy it's also got a better taste. Just look at the ingredients you'll see the difference.

[curiosity]

I have always dry fried mince first and drained off the fat (not down the sink though!) learnt that lesson a long time ago. If I then think I need more fat to fry other ingredients I add some olive oil.

[RATTER15]

I ain't no cook but would never buy Tescos cheap mince it even looks gross, it is usually pink instead of red due to all the fat in it!! carakeel and I only buy fresh mince and freeze it if we are not going to eat immediately and then it is dry fried and any fat poured off!!

It is bound to have some fat, it would not taste right if it didn't!!

[maxi2]

Go to a proper butcher, buy a trimmed beef skirt and mince it yourself. Probably cheaper than the Tesco stuff and much much better. You can still freeze it if you want to.

[diode dug]

Hi,
I brown the (steak) mince then cover with water, boil for a few mins then drain into a bowl :-(
let it cool to see the lid of fat.

add drained mince back to pan, then add stock (water/cube) i have been doing this for years, add toms etc and make a meal with far less fat.

mince is horrid at times.

[hogmother]

Most mince has quite alot of fat in it if you want to cut down try to buy fresh lean steak mince and freeze it yourself. As most meat has quite a high fat content it is not too bad for you anything is ok if eaten in moderation. I tend to have a meal with minced meat about once a week. You could also try substituting lamb, pork, chicken or turkey mince.