Minced Beef 540g

⭐ great taste® 2023

Our native breed beef* mince is famed amongst our chef community for its depth of flavour. To make Yorkshire's best-tasting mince, selected cuts of grass-fed beef (chuck, rib cap, flank and short-rib) are coarsely ground and combined. The resulting beef mince is perfect for making ragù, lasagne, beef burgers, chilli con carne and so many more beefy classics.

Chef Valentine Warner minces beef whilst pondering..."what on earth is happening to mince these days as it seems most purchase options lean towards lean ;) and a dishearteningly low fat content. A crime no less, this is neither good for the cooking or the flavour. Swaledale Online Butchers Minced Beef contains 25% outer fat, the importance of this being that to use internal fat will see it melt away rather than be retained in the texture of the meat. Swaledale’s mince from slow grown heritage breeds is deeply beefy in taste, the fat content meaning it is exceptionally good for making burgers. I’d note here that a good patty should contain no onions and the salt added when cooking only. The fat and meat protein requires no binding egg - this is old school, mumsy, outdated and unnecessary.

Personally I love a green chilli cheese burger…blitz together 25g of fresh coriander with a half tsp of ground cumin, ¼ tsp of dried oregano, cracked black pepper and two roughly chopped jalapeño raw chillies, ½ tsp juice of a small lime, 1 tsp of coarse sea salt and 1 tbs sunflower oil.

Over refinement is the curse of a good burger. Cheese should be techno orange and floppy and not noble or aged…..while I’d add that a toasted brioche bun is far preferable to sourdough bread. That being said, settle for nothing less than Swaledale’s most excellent streaky bacon. Dust a few thin slices of onion in cornflower and deep fry. And there you have it.

If you do want to incorporate other bits into the mince then the addition of herbs, shallot and a few capers would deliver a steak haché and a discreet French bistro lunch to be accompanied with a wine jus, pommes frites and a sharp green salad. Medium-rare would be my preference for both burger and haché alternatives.

While few memories of school see me smile, I always loved beef mince and carrots. Made well and it’s a simple supper joy on toast or with rice while on fried bread it’s a belter. Under silky mash in a cottage pie and I hardly need jog your memory but take the mince to South Africa and cover it with béchamel instead, adding spices and sultanas to the mince and the resulting Bobotie is absolutely delicious."

great taste® commented:
"This is a visually-appealing mince with good caramelisation, which suggests high levels of fat. This mince is firm to the chew, and the coarsely-ground texture added to a pleasant mouthfeel. There is no greasiness remaining on the palate. There is a underlying sweetness which might be elevated with the addition of seasoning...this beefy flavour is long on the palate...a versatile product in the kitchen.

The presentation had a fabulous chargrilled appearance, with a good texture of mince. There was a moistness to the initial taste and cut which was positive. This mince has a great beefy aroma and is very meaty in the mouth, not sinewy at all...the drier texture has great flavour and a clean, fresh, meaty taste."

*All Swaledale beef is heritage breed and raised on independent farms and smallholdings dotted around the wildly beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Slow grown and free to roam on the swath of green hills and valleys; the result is exceptional tasting beef with an umami taste - rich, dense and flavourful. Swaledale minced beef is Always Fresh Never Frozen®, butchered to order, vacuum packed, and shipped in recyclable packaging to arrive safely insulated and ready to enjoy.