Some recipes tell you to drain ground beef as though the step is self-evident. Others have you add the remaining ingredients directly to the skillet, fat and all. It’s a small decision you face regularly, and it can affect everything from how flavorful and moist the meat is to whether the finished dish tastes greasy. So how do you know when to pour off the pan liquid and when to leave it? According to Chef Heidi Fink, an award-winning cooking instructor and host of the Canadian TV series Cookin’ on the Coast, it depends on the beef you’re using and what you’re making.
When Should You Drain Ground Beef?
Fink skips draining “99.99% of the time” because, she says, “there is a lot of flavor in that beefy liquid.” Although you might think of everything in the skillet as fat, it also includes water-based juices from the meat, and pouring it all away can reduce the beef’s flavor and leave it dry and crumbly. That isn’t necessarily bad, but it should be intentional.
Draining “does have an advantage in browning the meat,” Fink says, so she does it when a recipe needs crispy ground beef or when all the liquid has to go, like for samosa filling. Even then, she almost always saves the liquid and simmers it down to add back later. Otherwise, if she wants drier beef, she uses a wider pan and higher heat so the moisture evaporates.
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Does the Lean-To-Fat Ratio Matter?
“In general, higher-fat beef has more flavor and moisture,” says Fink, who prefers 80/20 when she can find it. She typically buys lean because lean and extra-lean are more readily available where she lives in Canada.
But leaner beef releases less fat, so draining it can leave you with a dry dinner. An 80/20 blend renders more fat, so it’s better to assess the pan rather than follow a blanket rule. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing: If there’s just a little, leave it; if there’s enough to make the dish greasy, spoon off the excess.
The one time Fink gets picky is with burgers. “High-fat meat is the only way,” she says. The fat “helps the burger patties hold together without any binders” while keeping them moist and flavorful.
Does the Dish Matter?
When I asked her about everyday dishes like tacos, chili, pasta sauce, and casseroles, Fink was super relaxed: “Honestly, whatever the family prefers!” Any ground beef works, she says, “as long as you season it correctly and cook it nicely.” With leaner beef, she suggests adding a bit more olive oil or simmering longer.
For chili and pasta sauce, the liquid can stay in and become part of the sauce. If you want, you can skim off any visible fat after simmering. For tacos, remove just enough liquid to keep the tortillas from getting soggy while leaving the filling moist. For casseroles, consider the other ingredients. A rich, cheesy casserole may need more draining, while a longer-baked dish might benefit from the added moisture.
If you decide to drain, do it before seasoning; “otherwise you are pouring away flavor,” says Fink. If you want to follow Fink’s 99.99% rule, keep that beefy liquid unless you intentionally want the meat crispy or dry.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes