Should You Rinse Ground Beef? Here’s What You Need to Know

No, you should not rinse ground beef but you should learn how to drain ground beef. The food industry has evolved significantly over time, as numerous food trends come and go.

Over this period, ground beef recipes have remained perennially popular. Browning a pound of ground beef offers countless possibilities to entertain your loved ones.

Besides being versatile, ground meat is also affordable, a crucial aspect in this era when food prices are immensely high.

Unfortunately, there has been great controversy surrounding ground beef after one TikTok user posted a video rinsing ground beef. It is true that blotting beef with paper towels and rinsing it with hot water reduces its fat content by up to 50%.

But does the same apply to ground beef? We will answer any questions regarding ground beef, such as: Are you supposed to rinse ground beef? Does rinsing ground beef help in any way? Read on to learn more.

Should You Rinse Ground Beef Before Cooking, After, or At All?

With the ongoing controversy surrounding whether you should rinse ground beef, you should take the necessary measures to avoid getting caught in culinary combat. So, are you supposed to rinse ground beef before cooking, after, or at all?

To cut to the chase, you should never rinse ground beef – before or after cooking – just like it is with turkey. However, you can learn how to drain ground beef.

Rinsing raw ground beef can spread germs and bacteria on the kitchen surface, making you and your loved ones susceptible to infections. Fortunately, the U.S. food system ensures that ground beef is safe to eat without washing.

If you have some food safety doubts about consuming unwashed ground beef, storing it in the refrigerator is recommended. Doing so keeps it cool and fresh; then, you can cook it to 160 degrees.

If you must rinse your ground beef, clean your sink and the surrounding surfaces to avoid transferring germs and bacteria, which can make anyone in the household sick. Choosing this path requires great caution.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, water can splash germs and bacteria to surfaces up to three feet away from your sink. For this reason, you should thoroughly clean the surrounding areas to prevent cross-contamination.

Rather than putting everyone in your home at risk, it would be great to cook ground beef without washing it. Luckily, doing so has no health effects as the meat is safe for consumption without rinsing. Additionally, it would help if you never forgot to cook your ground beef to the safe and savory temperature of 160 degrees.

Can I Rinse Ground Beef After Cooking?

If you are worried about excessive grease in the meat, it is advisable to drain it rather than rinse off all the flavor by washing it. It is also not advisable to rinse ground beef after cooking. Doing so rinses off the fantastic flavor, a risk you aren’t willing to take.

Aside from washing away flavors and spreading bacteria in your kitchen, washing ground meat may also cause severe damage to your kitchen sink. The hot grease you drain from the meat is liquid but quickly solidifies upon cooling.

For this reason, if you choose to discard it, you shouldn’t pour it down the drain to avoid plumbing issues. The trash is the ideal place to dispose of it.

What are the Best Alternatives to Rinsing Ground Meat?

If you don’t enjoy excess fat in your meat or are keen on minimizing the same, you shouldn’t worry. The fact that you shouldn’t rinse ground beef is not a ticket to consuming excessive fat. There are some valuable tips to ensure that you enjoy your ground meat without washing it.

1. Drain the meat and dispose of the fat

Draining your ground meat is an easy and effective way of removing excess fat from the meat. You should find a bowl large enough to hold your colander and then place it (colander) over the bowl.

Transfer the beef into the colander and allow the excess grease from the meat to drip into the bowl. The strained grease will harden after a while, and then you will dispose of it in the trash to avoid potential plumbing issues.

If you don’t have a colander, line your tray or plate with paper towels and transfer your cooked beef to the lined tray or plate. Pat the surface with more paper towels and excrete as much grease as possible. When you achieve the desired results, put the beef back in the pan and discard the used paper towels into the trash.

2. Go lean

If you find draining fat from ground beef overwhelming or time-consuming, you can opt for lean meat. That way, you avoid the extra work that comes with draining the meat while saving the time you would have spent doing the job.

Lean beef has low-fat content, making it convenient for people keen on consuming minimal grease in their ground meat. The next time you find your ground beef soaking in excess grease in your pan, you don’t have to rinse it. The above tips should be helpful and effective.

How to Discard Grease from Ground Meat Effectively

Grease from your ground meat is precious. The rendered fat gives your meat a delicious flavor, explaining why you shouldn’t rinse it. Rinsing the grease off also leaves your meat dry.

The best thing to do is to drain it off when excess. But how should you dispose of the grease without harming your home’s plumbing system?

• Firstly, you should never handle hot grease, just like cooking oil. Allow it to cool in a disposable container such as sour cream or yogurt container old can, then toss it in the trash. Never allow the grease down your drain, as it carries potential harm to your sewer system.
• Secondly, you can use a plastic bag with debris, such as vegetable peels and paper towels, to soak up the grease before disposing of it.
• Thirdly, which is the most interesting is you can save the meat grease and even that from bacon and use it for cooking later, just like it was a norm in the past.

You may also like to read:

• How to Unclog a Double Kitchen Sink With Standing Water
• Can You Freeze Eggs? Little-Known Kitchen Tips

Wrapping Up

In the end, rinsing ground beef brings more harm than good. Besides washing off the flavor from the meat, it also puts you and your loved ones at risk for infection. For these reasons, you should never rinse ground beef.

Fortunately, there are numerous alternatives that you can apply in the place of rinsing to ensure your safety and that of other consumers. Your colander and paper towels are the key to enjoying fat-free ground beef without washing it.

If you choose to drain the meat, keep your sewer system safe from potential attacks from the grease but dispose of it appropriately. With that, you have answers to all your questions, including: Are you supposed to rinse ground beef? Does rinsing ground beef reduce fat?