Mince
Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 1
Chapter 6 · Mince
Skill goal
Cook mince thoroughly and safely, and make four everyday meals.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Mince is beef that has been ground into small pieces. It is cheap, quick and takes up flavours, so it is behind the most popular home meals. Because the surface of the meat is spread all through it, mince must always be cooked right through. Browning gives flavour, vegetables add moisture and sweetness, and a gentle simmer brings it together. For burgers and meatballs, see Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 2.
The method
- Choose the fat: about 10% fat for sauces and chilli, 5% for pies and stuffings (drain fat if greasy), 15 to 20% for burgers.
- Brown properly: don't stir too much, and let it turn golden. Grey mince makes a bland sauce.
- Add flavour: tomato purée, herbs and spices, fried briefly.
- Simmer gently so the sauce thickens and the flavours blend.
- Cool and chill leftovers fast, and reheat until steaming hot.
| Dish | Fat % | Cook | Serve with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolognese | 10% | Simmer 45 minutes | Spaghetti or other pasta |
| Chilli con carne | 10% | Simmer 30 to 40 minutes | Rice, potatoes or tortillas |
| Cottage pie | 5 to 10% | Simmer, then bake 25 minutes | Greens or peas |
| Stuffed peppers | 5 to 10% | Brown, then bake 40 minutes | Salad or rice |
Mince, freezing and cooling
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Freezing and thawing: freeze raw or cooked mince dishes in small, flat, labelled bags or boxes. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, not on the worktop, and cook or reheat until steaming hot all through. Don't refreeze raw beef that has thawed, though you can freeze it again once it has been cooked.
Cooling a big pot: a large pot of stew stays warm for hours, which is when germs multiply. If you aren't eating it straight away, divide it into shallow containers, cool it within 1 to 2 hours, then cover and chill. Keep it in the fridge for up to about 2 days or freeze it for up to about 3 months (general guidance), and reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Spaghetti bolognese
The classic meat sauce: mince browned until golden, softened vegetables, tomatoes and a long gentle simmer. It tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 500 g beef mince (10% fat)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200 ml beef stock (low-salt)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 320 g spaghetti
- Heat a little oil in a large pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes until soft, adding the garlic for the last minute. Move them to the side and brown the mince in the pan, breaking it up with a spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes until it is golden and no pink remains.
- Stir in the tomato purée for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, stock and oregano. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 45 minutes, stirring now and then. Season at the end.
- Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water until just tender, drain and toss with the sauce.
Mince, hot sauce and allergens
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Hot pot and hot steam: a heavy casserole dish or pan of hot liquid is heavy and scalding. Use oven gloves, lift the lid away from your face so the steam doesn't burn you, keep the handles turned in and never carry a full pot across a busy kitchen.
Allergens: beef itself is not a common allergen, but stock cubes and gravy granules often contain celery, gluten or soy, and sauces may contain milk (butter, cream) and mustard. Check every label, and swap in plant butter or gluten-free flour where needed.
Level 2 · Spice
Chilli con carne
Mince, beans and spices in a thick tomato sauce. Frying the spices briefly in the pan brings out their flavour. Start mild: you can always add more chilli, but you can't take it out.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 500 g beef mince (10% fat)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder (to taste)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 400 g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 200 ml beef stock (low-salt)
- Brown the mince in a large pan for 8 to 10 minutes, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika and chilli and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato purée, tomatoes and stock and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes more, until thick.
- Taste and season. Serve with rice, baked potatoes or tortillas, and soured cream if you like.
Mince, beans, spices and heat
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Kidney beans: canned kidney beans are already cooked, so drain and rinse them. Dried kidney beans are poisonous unless they are soaked and then boiled hard for at least 10 minutes, so don't use them raw or in a slow cooker.
Chilli powder: it can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands before touching your face, and add heat in small steps. Serve very hot dishes with something cooling for children.
Rice: cooked rice can carry bacteria that survive cooking. Use freshly cooked rice, or cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and use it within a day, and reheat it until steaming hot.
Level 2 · Topped
Cottage pie
Mince in gravy under a lid of mash, baked until golden. The filling must be thick, not runny, or the mash sinks into it. For the mash, see Cooking Skills: Potatoes 1, chapter 2.
Ingredients (5 portions)
- 500 g beef mince (10% fat)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 300 ml beef stock (low-salt)
- 800 g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled and chopped
- 50 g butter
- 100 ml milk, warmed
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15 minutes until tender, drain and mash with the butter and warm milk. Meanwhile brown the mince for 8 to 10 minutes, add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and tomato purée, add the stock, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thick. Season, spoon into a baking dish and top with the mash, rough up the surface with a fork.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and bake for 25 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling hot all through.
Mince, hot filling and hot mash
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Hot pot and hot steam: a heavy casserole dish or pan of hot liquid is heavy and scalding. Use oven gloves, lift the lid away from your face so the steam doesn't burn you, keep the handles turned in and never carry a full pot across a busy kitchen.
Cooling a big pot: a large pot of stew stays warm for hours, which is when germs multiply. If you aren't eating it straight away, divide it into shallow containers, cool it within 1 to 2 hours, then cover and chill. Keep it in the fridge for up to about 2 days or freeze it for up to about 3 months (general guidance), and reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Level 3 · Stuffed
Stuffed peppers
Peppers stuffed with mince, rice and tomato, topped with cheese. The mince is browned first, so it only needs the oven to finish the peppers and melt the cheese. For a meat-free version, use mushroom and lentils.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 4 large peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
- 300 g beef mince (10% fat)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150 g cooked rice, freshly cooked
- 200 ml passata
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 50 g cheddar, grated
- Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Brown the mince for 8 to 10 minutes, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the rice, passata and oregano and season.
- Put the pepper halves in a baking dish and fill them with the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, scatter the cheese over and bake for 10 minutes more, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden.
Mince, rice and hot oven
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Rice: cooked rice can carry bacteria that survive cooking. Use freshly cooked rice, or cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and use it within a day, and reheat it until steaming hot.
Hot oven and hot tins: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put hot tins on a heatproof surface. A roasting tin of hot fat is heavy and hot, so never carry it across a busy kitchen, and keep children out of the way.
Experiments
Experiment
Browning time
Grey and golden.
- Make two small batches of meat sauce, one with the mince cooked until grey and one browned until golden.
Look for: The golden batch tastes deeper and meatier. Grey mince tastes plain: browning is where the flavour starts.
Experiment
Fat percentage
5% and 20%.
- Cook 5% fat mince and 20% fat mince the same way and compare the sauces.
Look for: The lean mince is drier and firmer; the fatty one is richer but greasy unless you drain it. Ten per cent is a good compromise.
Experiment
Hidden vegetables
Grated carrot and mushroom.
- Make one batch with grated carrot or finely chopped mushrooms stirred into the mince, and one plain.
Look for: The batch with vegetables is moister and sweeter, goes further and has less meat per portion. It works especially well in pies and sauces.
Experiment
Freezing and reheating
Fresh, then frozen.
- Freeze a portion of bolognese flat for a few days, thaw it in the fridge and reheat it until steaming hot.
Look for: Thawed sauce may be a little thinner, so simmer it for a few minutes. Many people think sauces taste better after a day, so make extra.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti bolognese | ||||
| Chilli con carne | ||||
| Cottage pie | ||||
| Stuffed peppers | ||||
| Browning time | ||||
| Fat percentage | ||||
| Hidden vegetables | ||||
| Freezing and reheating |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grey, bland mince | Pan crowded or not hot | Brown in two batches over a high heat |
| Greasy sauce | High-fat mince | Spoon off fat, or choose leaner mince |
| Watery sauce | Not simmered long enough | Simmer uncovered until thick |
| Pie filling runny | Too much liquid | Reduce the filling before adding the topping |
| Chilli too hot | Too much chilli | Add more tomatoes or beans, and serve with yogurt or soured cream |
| Mince still pink | Not cooked through | Cook until no pink remains and it is steaming hot |
Mince, cooling and reheating
Mince must be cooked through: germs can be all the way through mince, not just on the surface. Cook it until there is no pink, the juices run clear and the centre reaches about 71°C. Wash your hands, boards and utensils after handling it and don't taste it raw.Cooling a big pot: a large pot of stew stays warm for hours, which is when germs multiply. If you aren't eating it straight away, divide it into shallow containers, cool it within 1 to 2 hours, then cover and chill. Keep it in the fridge for up to about 2 days or freeze it for up to about 3 months (general guidance), and reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Freezing and thawing: freeze raw or cooked mince dishes in small, flat, labelled bags or boxes. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, not on the worktop, and cook or reheat until steaming hot all through. Don't refreeze raw beef that has thawed, though you can freeze it again once it has been cooked.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can brown mince until golden.
- I know mince must be cooked right through.
- I can build a meat sauce, chilli and a cottage pie.
- I can freeze and reheat mince dishes safely.
- I can choose the fat percentage for the dish.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 1, chapter 7 is Quick Beef Dishes: stir-fries, steak sandwiches, beef salad and using up leftover roast beef.