Usually, when we buy mince we do it with our eyes closed. Here are five things you must know when buying mince, some may be obvious – but do you do it?

Know what you are buying

Do you know what type of meat you are getting? Mince is can be made from just about any cut, so do you know what yipe of meat/cut you are getting? You will only ever know this by buying meat from a butcher. For the record, we only supply our beef mince from the chuck, which is the forequarter. Namely the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. We do have many other types of mince like Pork, Lamb, Rabbit – just message us any questions.

Fat Content

The white specks will give you a good idea of how much fat is in your mince. All mince should have some fat, as that is what adds flavour and moisture. Zero fat would leave you with very dry mince. Is each pack created equally? We consider our beef mince to be lean, with a fat content of about 15%.

The Packaging

Do not accept any mince with any sign of damaged packaging – zero tolerance with this. Make sure it is chilled. The colour… this is a little tricky but for me, you should be looking for red cherry colour. Some brown is not always a bad thing as all it is is the interaction of the product with oxygen. If brown all over it might be a sign that it is starting to go off. The best test is to smell it. If still uncertain, rather discard.

Storing and Defrosting

Take care when doing this. 2 days is the suggested time in the fridge, then move to the freezer. The best way to defrost is to let it thaw slowly in the fridge. If you must use the microwave make sure you cook it immediately thereafter.

Cooking Mince

Is there any other type of meat more versatile? From Bolognaise to lasagna to meatballs and burgers, know your self out! For meatballs and burgers I suggest a slightly higher fat content to keep meat moist.

Click here to see the range of different mince we offer