Taco meat ? Do you know how

[DisneyMomma81]

How do you guys drain it? Like with a collinder?

Yep ~ I dump *but do not rinse it* in a colander that's set in the sink.

 

[Soben]

The crock pot works too. I usually brown and freeze the beef when I buy it. Then I pull it out, add the seasoning and water and crock-pot until suppertime.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I find the fresh ground beef cooks up into smaller pieces than the chubs that have been pressed. It gets expensive though so not sure it would be conducive advice on a budget board.

I strain mine with a colander, yep. They have stainless steel ones that work great for this and stretch across the sink just run the hottest water possible down the drain with the grease. I don't rinse my meat but my friend and her other half do and it helps with that greasy drip and last time I had tacos at their place it came out tasting good.

have a good sturdy pancake turner/spatula whatever you call them chop it good. I have been finding the cheaper chub beef gets a finer ground up texture when I have used Worcestershire sauce(how my brother likes it but I try to avoid salt) in the meat and a little in the pan with small squirt of water. It doesn't overpower the "taco" seasonings in my opinion.

 

[Zoesmama03]

OMGOSH! Thank you for transporting back to my childhood! I am making those ASAP! Now if I could only get the peanut butter pie that always went with it... sitting at the counter! Love it!

Same here we had maid rites a lot growing up(lived on border of Illinois/Iowa, Illinois side but frequented both and had family in Iowa). I don't care for meat and haven't but I do remember these.

I prefer homemade sloppy joes though. I just a tablespoon of brown sugar chop my own fresh onions, garlic, bell peppers(even carrots taste okay in it) and tomatoes(or canned I have done too) and either ketchup or tomato sauce works but ketchup seems to give it thicker consistency I found but the sauce will eventually simmer off it just takes longer than I like to wait for dinner.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I salt the pan before I add the meat. The salt helps break it up and adds flavor at the same time if you don't have sodium issues. I have also used a fork to stir the meat back when I used to have cast iron skillets.
I read an article recently that said Taco Bell uses an additive that has basically teh same chemical compound as sand to make theirs crumbly. Personally, I prefer salt to sand.

Hmm wonder if its silica which is actually also GLASS WHOA I think I will never order a taco at Taco bell again. lol I prefer the crunchwrap supreme no meat anyway LOL But I rarely eat fast food anymore.

 

[DisneyRah]

I use a ChopStir, which is very similar to the Mix n Chop, but typically costs around $7 on Amazon or around $8.30 from the ChopStir website (with shipping). It grounds up the beef very finely and we loved having 1 so much, that we bought a 2nd one from Hallmark.

 

[Belle2667]

I dump my browned meat into a colander in the sink and then use a pastry blender to break it up further. (Plus it helps to squeeze out even more grease!)

 

[ILMICKEY]

I use a potato masher while my meat is browning. (Idea compliments of Racheal Ray) It works really well!

 

[adaygaby]

I also use a potato masher. Works great

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

Another potato masher user here! It works really well to use it in the colandar while straining the meat too.

 

[TallyTutter]

I use ~*this*~

*Here's* several reviews.

This review in particular mentions that "she" use to boil her ground beef but now she uses the Mix 'N Chop.

I too use the Mix 'n Chop. Adding the water to raw ground beef just doesn't sound very appetizing but I'm sure some of the ways/things that I cook wouldn't appeal to others!

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I use a potato masher while my meat is browning. (Idea compliments of Racheal Ray) It works really well!

I like this

 

[pink_fins]

I found out. Talked to a bucher. He says they doub/triple grind it. That's one good thing about living in a small town. (1,500)

We have a great mexican resturant and I heard a rumor that he got his meat thru this butcher. Then asked him to do it for me.
It was purfect

gail

 

[SnowWhite607]

I could not find this thread last night to say that I also use a potato masher.

I always wondered how my grandmother got her meat so small for spaghetti sauce. I saw her one day cooling it and she was mashing it up with a potato masher. Works like a charm and you can get a masher for like $2 at Walmart.

 

[Golf4food]

to get the ground beef finely crumbled up like Taco Bell's?
I thought I read a trick to get it that way here on the DIS but couldn't find it.

They use sand in theirs. Try that. (I'm not making that up, one of the ingredients in Taco Bell meat is basically sand.)

 

[Ava]

I never knew there was any "trick"...I always just stabbed at it repeatedly with my spatula while cooking it?

Haha, this is my method. Works especially well for getting out your frustrations when then meat is still partially frozen.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I never knew there was any "trick"...I always just stabbed at it repeatedly with my spatula while cooking it?

That's what I do. You have to babysit it and keep it moving around and stab at it and it breaks up and doesn't really brown too much. It just cooks nicely.