Ground meat

Sausage making process

Keema and Rice

Ground beef

Hackfleisch - groundmeat

Keema Pao with Hari Chutney

Ground meat (also called minced meat outside North America, or keema in the Indian subcontinent) is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife.

Types of Ground Meat

A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, including pork, lamb, and poultry. In South Asia, both lamb and goat meat are also minced to produce keema.

Ground Beef

Ground beef is used in a variety of dishes including hamburgers and spaghetti bolognese. It is not typically highly seasoned before cooking.

Ground Pork

Ground pork is used in many recipes from around the world including, Italian sausage, and Chinese dumplings.

Ground Lamb

Ground lamb is used in Middle Eastern recipes such as kofta and moussaka.

Ground Poultry

Ground poultry, such as turkey or chicken, is a low fat alternative to beef or pork.

Health Risks

Ground meat has food safety concerns very different from whole cuts of meat. If undercooked, it can lead to food poisoning. In a whole cut from an animal, the interior of the meat is essentially sterile, even before cooking; any bacterial contamination is on the outer surface of the meat. When meat is ground, bacterial contamination from the surface can be distributed throughout the meat.

See Also

• Meat grinder
• Hamburger
• Keema
• Food safety