FOOD NEWS
The Reason Why Ground Beef Appears To Shrink While Cooking
BY JOE DILLARD
It’s normal for ground beef to shrink when it’s cooked. To manage the shrinkage, it's crucial that you pay attention to the ground beef's fat content and its cooking temperature.
Prepackaged ground beef comes with an indication of the ratio between lean beef and fat within it. The higher the fat content, the more the ground beef may shrink while cooking it.
One common ratio is “80/20,” which explains that the meat is made up of 80% lean beef and 20% fat. There are also less lean but often less expensive ratios like “70/30.”
As your ground beef cooks, the fat will render out of it, which will turn a plump burger into a less voluminous patty by the time it's ready to eat.
Cooking your ground beef at too high of a temperature will also cause the fat to render out too quickly. Cook your beef at a medium temperature so the fat will render more slowly.