Browned hamburger is a core ingredient in many recipes, so knowing how to brown it is an important part of a cook’s repertoire. This method also works for any other ground meat. Whether using ground beef or some other meat, consider it’s fat content. While meats lower in fat content are healthier, those with higher fat contents are much
easier to brown because they do not stick and burn as badly (they are also cheaper and often tastier.) If your meat sticks, add a little fat (oil, lard, shortening).
1 lb of ground meat should work well in an average skillet. If you are planning to incorporate the browned meat into another dish such as soup, sauce, or Sloppy Joe’s use whatever pan your final dish will be cooked in. It is easy to brown ground meat in any pan that is large enough to accommodate it. Make sure you are using a spatula which will not scrape up the bottom of your pan - plastic or rubber both work well.
It does not really matter whether you heat your pan before adding the meat or afterward. Put the meat in the pan (be very sure to unwrap carefully; you do not want any stray bits of plastic, Styrofoam, or paper cooked with your meat). Turn the heat to Medium. If you are in a hurry and are a confident cook, you could do Medium High or even higher, but you must watch and stir fanatically to keep it from burning.
As it begins to brown add flipping and stirring motions in with your chopping. Be sure to stop chopping when the meat chunks reach the size you prefer. I like mine quite small, but it does not really matter.
When the meat is all browned and no pink is showing, you are done. Continue with your recipe.
Variations:
It will add more flavor if you add salt while browning.
My great grandmother always added a sprinkle of garlic when cooking beef. She said it gave the meat a sweet flavor. It is very good.
