What on Earth is Walmart Ground Beef Made From?

(Failed) #1

Hubby got a 1 lb package of “ground chuck” from Walmart and I fried it up for loose meat sloppy cheeseburgers. The fat separated. Looked like vegetable oil to me, as it didn’t combine with the meat. I had to use paper towels to soak it up before I added the cheese. Ewww.

I usually use ground chuck from Wegman’s (it doesn’t do this), but we wanted it now and Walmart is just across the street.

I checked the label-it contains ground beef and natural flavorings., whatever THAT means. Have to wonder what Walmart has put in it, cuz it sure ain’t natural beef like the package says.

Lesson learned.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #2

I bought a chub of breakfast sausage recently and I just glanced at the carb content and threw it in the cart. When I read the ingredients later it said it had vegetable oil for “ease of processing”. :rage:

:cowboy_hat_face:

(Jack Bennett) #3

:grimacing::grimacing::grimacing:

(Failed) #4

Wow

(Windmill Tilter) #5

I cooked up 3lbs of 73%/27% walmart ground beef this afternoon and noticed the same thing. It was a sight to behold. I’m curious to try a side by side comparison with Walmart 80/20 vs a higher grade 80/20 now.

(Failed) #6

That would be great.

Next time I get 80/20 ground beef NOT FROM WALMART, I’ll take a pic and post it.probably next week sometime.

(Joey) #7

WALMART MEAT DEPT:
Caution. Our ground beef may contain beef.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #8

Also I wonder what the acceptable margin of error is for lean to fat ratios in ground beef. It is just some kind of estimate. It’s not like they give the cow a DEXA scan! :joy::joy::grin: Maybe the 80/20 was more fatty than stated and why it didn’t reabsorb. I’ve been using 73/27 (not Walmart) and it won’t suck that much fat back up. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Joey) #9

I’ve found the occasional bargain in the meat cooler at Walmart… e.g., a choice rib-eye or NY steak that is “best by” tomorrow’s date for $3 to $5 off per lb… the butcher there is probably nervous it won’t sell in time and they’ll soon get nothing for it.

So I pick it up and - surprise - for the price of hamburger of unspecified pedigree we have a nice slab of steak for dinner that night on short notice. :cut_of_meat:

Of course it’s hard to tinker with a slab of unprocessed beef like that. Their ground beef can be more of a challenge.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #10

I saw @dlc96_darren post some bargain hamburger that had soy added recently. Ground beef used to be just that. Apparently you need to read the label now for ground beef. :rage:

#11

I got duped a few times in my stores, as well, who knows what they put in those pre-packaged grinds. Now I just go the butcher’s part (when I buy from the store) and ask him to grind it fresh in front of me.

I was so disappointed a few days ago…kajmak is a delicious Balkan spread made from cream and salt. A very well-known local and respected dairy company makes it and I usually went for theirs. My MiL brought it home for dinner and I don’t know what made me look at the ingredients - butter, milk, milk protein and corn starch!! They shouldn’t call that kajmak!

(Full Metal KETO AF) #12

I had a chance to look up the allowable margin of error on food labeling in the USA. 20% is the standard. So I’m guessing a fat percentage of 20% could be anywhere from 16-24%? :cowboy_hat_face:

(Murphy Kismet) #13

Ahh, so make it easier for the machinery but fuck the people’s “ease”. Figures, industry would think of itself first. Hmm, almost like it’s sentient…:thinking:

(Jack Bennett) #14

Gotta get some engine oil on those grinder gears :frowning::cow::gear:

#15

We have to order ground beef and pork sausage from a food supplier for work and it comes in those 3 or 5lb chubs…I always mentally gag when I have to prepare it for clients because it is definitely not something I would make for them if I had a choice. Seems to be so much added water in it, and there’s no real flavor and just doesn’t look good at all…

#16

I never noticed that, used to buy the chubs of Wally meat all the time, never bought the (normal) stuff in the foam/plastic wrap but didn’t catch it doing that. Wife’s a die hard Wegmans person now and literally won’t walk into Walmart anymore. I’ll have to go grab one and do a side to side in the name of science of course.

(Ken) #17

To offer a generalization about beef packing, when you buy a pre made chub of ground beef it has come from a plant that processes cows and other older animals. Ground beef is not graded, so older animal are OK to use. It’s just a matter of fat content. This is not offered as a detraction, as the meat from more mature animals can be more flavorfull, so fine for ground beef. Chances are the meat came from dairy cows or cows from cow-calf operations and were never sent to a feedlot. That means they’ve probably not been fattened before slaughter. That’s where the question of additions comes in as far as fats and fillers, you have to read the label. However, binders and fillers are usually a very small amount, but can be much higher in products made for commercial and institutional use, rather than sale direct to the consumer.

Some stores make their own ground beef. The local Iowa Fareway chain does that, and since they only handle Choice Grade, including the cuts used for ground beef, the quality is higher.

(Windmill Tilter) #18

This is a good point. My 3lb chub (I just learned that term I’ve been dying to use it) has nearly a pint of pure fat. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where a pint of fat isn’t going to leave a good sized pool of fat in my dutch oven.

Another variable worth considering is the amount of water present. The lean portion of the meat is still 90% water. I know with chicken that they inject salt and water up to something like 10% by weight to increase profitability. It’s possible the same thing can be done to ground beef.

When I was meticulously tracking calories, I used to cook the hamburger, drain the liquid and separate the liquid in a gravy boat. There was a ton of broth. I’d then weigh out the fat on a food scale and add the same number of fat grams to each portion.

I’d be curious to cook 1lb walmart vs 1lb whole foods hamburger in a sealed container so no liquid could boil off to compare the difference in residual broth and fat.

My guess is that the walmart ground beef woukd have a higher fat content and a higher broth content. It’s hard to imagine walmart could sell 73% hamburger for $2.00/lb without adding extra fat and water.

(Failed) #19

I hear what people are saying about excess fat, but this was different texture- and colo(u)r-wise. Fat rendered out of ground beef is usually not clear and is definitely not as oily as this was.

I’ll be making a batch with Wegman’s 80/20 later this evening and post the results.

(Joey) #20

All new improved Walmart Family Beef® … basted with Mobile1® synthetic W30/5 for patented SMOOOOTH Digestion™!