Let’s talk burgers.
We love them, and we fear them.
The love part is the burger itself: the meat patty snuggled within its bun, dressed with frilly lettuce, a tomato slice and a wisp of onion. Our desire for it is unfettered. It is enduring. It is America. Just ask Josh Ozersky who wrote an entire book about the hamburger.
The fear part is the ground beef: What in the world is in there? Where did it come from? Where has it been? Better not to think about it and just take a bite…
Or, let me tell you about artisan meat–beef that is cultivated with care and attention from start to finish by small-scale and family farmers. It is sold direct from the beef producer to a retailer or you.
Here are five ways artisan ground beef differs from generic:
1. Pure ground beef, no filler, no pink slime, nothing weird
2. Never mixed with other trim from foreign places, like Uruguay
3. Each batch is traceable back to the farm
4. Processed in small batches from healthy animals
5. Composed of a balance of lean and healthful fats (typically 85-90%)
Once upon a time, beef was beef was beef. Now, there are big differences that make ground beef a food you can love wholeheartedly.
In Part 2, we’ll get into facts for cooking it. And, I’ll share my recipe for the whole wheat hamburger buns from Pure Beef.