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Cooking 101: Ground Beef

© Wendy Waid

Some of the easiest dishes to make for chefs of all skill levels consist of ground beef. If you lack culinary skills, try these super-easy recipes and tips.

First step: buying the beef:
Check the meat department at your local grocery store for their section of ground beef. You can buy it pre-packaged or freshly ground. Ground beef is usually the cheapest meat selection available and you can often get a pound for a few dollars. Check the expiration date before making your selection. Ground beef can be frozen for future use, but thawing the meat out takes a long time and does not taste as good. For the best tasting frozen meat, wrap it in butcher’s paper. Buy your meat when you intend to use it.

There are also different types of ground beef. You can find lean ground beef. There are also ground beef that uses turkey meat (it is commonly known as “ground turkey”).

Second step: browning the meat:
Sprinkle a few drops of oil (vegetable oil works well) into a large skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. Don’t turn the heat up to high or the oil will splatter all over the place. Place the meat into the skillet and wait for it to start cooking. As it begins to brown, use a fork and break it apart. When every piece has turned that gray-brown color, go to the next step.

Last step: add ingredients:
The meat has been browned, so now add your other ingredients as directed by your recipe.

Recipe #1 – Fast Fiesta Tacos:
This recipe from DelMonte (http://www.delmonte.com)
Ingredients:

• One package (12 count) of large taco shells
• One pound of ground beef
• One can (14.5 oz) Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Green Pepper and Onion
• 3/4 cup salsa, mild
• One can (15.25 oz) Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained

Directions:

1. Prepare taco shells according to package directions.
2. Brown meat in skillet; drain when done. Add tomatoes and salsa; cook over medium heat 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn; cook 2 more minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Spoon into heated taco shells and garnish with shredded lettuce, cheese, avocado, or sour cream, as desired.

Recipe #2 – Chuckwagon Beef and Pasta Skillet:
This recipe from http://www.beeftips.com/recipes/recipe.p...
Ingredients:

• One pound 80% lean ground beef
• One small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• One can (13.75 – 14.50 oz) ready-to-serve beef broth
• One and a half cup of uncooked wagon wheel or rotini pasta

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