10 pounds of fatty ground beef need healthy recipes!

We received a quarter of a cow last year- October and I have at least ten pounds packages of ground beef- it is not lean ground beef. My husband and I are comitted to eating healthy this year, lean meats, fish, beans, whole wheat carbs, fruits and vegs - how do I use this meat?

[KRS]

My mother made what she called "Poor Man's Stroganoff."

Put the meat and plenty of chopped onions in a large skillet. Over high heat, break up the lumps of meat with a spatula and cook until all red color is gone. Continue until the meat is thoroughly browned and some of it is crispy, and the onions are quite soft.

Remove everything, including the browned bits, to a strainer and let the fat drain out. You can dab it with a paper towel, but removing all the fat detracts from the flavor.

Remove to a bowl, add seasoned salt (she used Lawrey's, so I'm imprinted on that), lots of paprika and freshly ground pepper. Stir in sour cream and serve over rice.

I substitute whole-milk yoghurt (fat-free is too thin), or labnee, which is even better.

[Kelli2006]

High-fat ground beef works well as a patty on the grill, but the cook and drain method also lends itself to other recipes. Personally, I would buy some ground lamb or venison and mix it in with the leaner meats.

[Sam Fujisaka]

You can make a relatively fat free Lao laab. Break the ground meat up into a a large pot of boiling water, drain through a strainer after a minute or two when the meat is still pink and the fat all melted. Add fish sauce, lime juice, torn mint leaves, chopped corinader and chilies, finely sliced green onion, and a diced red onion. Mix well. Top with a bit of toasted and then ground uncooked rice, a few more red chili slices, and a few more mint leaves. Serve with hot sticky rice (Japanese rice will do).

[phofiend]

There is so much flavor in the drippings that I do not want to lose. After browning, I drain the meat through a strainer and collect the drippings in a bowl. Then I return the meat to the pan and add some stock and a bit of wine. Simmer a few minutes, then drain again, adding the drippings to the same bowl. The meat is now very lean, as it has been washed in the stock/wine solution, and some flavor has been added. I then pour the drippings into a gravy separator and allow the fat to rise. Pour the flavorful fat-free liquid back into the meat if you want a looser consistency, or reduce the liquid further after separating the fat. Most of the flavor of the meat is retained, even enhanced, and the fat content goes way down. I do this routinely, as I also prefer the taste to that of leaner cuts.

[kivarita]

Consider a nice beef-based Shepherd's pie! I'm always shocked when I drain off the fat and it keeps going and going and going and going...even drained it tastes 10x better than the sirloin...at least for Shepherd's pie.

If you use it in chili or a spaghetti sauce, refrigerate it overnight and skim the fat off of the top.

You can brown it and drain the fat, then use it in chili with beans or spagetti sauce. You can also grill burgers, much of the fat will burn off. I would add the fat right back on in the form of cheese, however.

If you are tying to stay away from fat, brown the ground beef, put the browned ground beef in a collandar and rinse with hot water.

Use the ground beef in spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, tacos, burritos, etc.

I am using it in chil, spaghetti etc.- but thanks for the extra tip to rinse- that should do it!!!