The Most Popular Cut Of Steak Used For Ground Beef
The term 'ground beef' covers a lot of ground (pun very intended), because it can mean that just about any scrap of beef has been tossed into the grinder in order to create what's in that cellophane-wrapped package. But not every cut of beef is created equal. And in terms of cuts, chuck steak happens to be the most popular cut for ground beef. That's due to the fact that it's well-marbled, and it tastes, well, beefy. Chuck comes from the neck, shoulder, and upper part of the ribs of the cow.
Though not everyone associates good things with the word 'fat', the fat is where a lot of ground beef's juiciness comes from. This is why a certain amount of it in ground beef is ideal, as in the proportions of ground chuck. Most of the time you'll see ground chuck at 80% lean meat to 20% fat, which makes for some pretty juicy burger patties. You'll also see other cuts of beef that are lower in fat that are specifically used for ground beef, like ground round or ground sirloin. But when it comes down to it, ground chuck is the most popular out of all of them.
Whole chuck steak is great for other dishes
Chuck naturally has a lot of connective tissue, which can make it pretty tough for cooking as-is, if you're not patient with it. That's why grinding it makes for a good option, since those gristly bits are then ground down to the point where you won't notice them in your final dish. But if you have time, a whole chuck roast can result in an extremely tender pot roast, or you can cube it up for use in things like a hearty stew. You simply have to cook it at a low temperature for a long period of time to yield the best results.
We're also big fans of using chuck for beef stroganoff in an Instant Pot, which helps accelerate the tenderizing process. We also use it as part of our favorite birria recipe along with a combination of short rib meat. It only makes sense then that a cut of meat this flavorful would do well in a ground format too — which is why it's one of the best and most popular building blocks for burger patties.