Minced beef or “mince” as it’s commonly called appears at first glance to be the same as ground beef? But is it? When we take a closer look, the two don’t appear to be the same at all. Mince has a courser texture and forms little bobbles when cooked, whilst ground beef is more finely processed giving a much smoother texture. So what, you say? Why should I bother whether it’s minced or ground? Well, a bit of experience cooking with both has illustrated how a cut of meat can influence a dish. For instance, Shepherd’s Pie requires mince, usually beef these days. (We won’t get into a discussion about Shepherd’s versus Cottage Pie.) The mince breaks up into little balls when it’s browned, creating a base of meaty granules under the potato. Ground beef doesn’t quite work, it’s too finely ground and doesn’t brown in the same way.
Oh, you think, maybe mince is better than ground beef? Not so fast! Hamburger experiments show that ground beef is much better for burger making. The ingredients mix more effectively, the patties are easier to form, hold their shape better, even the onion inside cooks better. It’s yet another example of how ingredients change a dish once its exported overseas.
