
Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside of North America (i.e. in U.K. and Commonwealth countries), and ''keema'' or ''qeema'' (
Hindustani: , , ()) in the
Indian subcontinent, is meat finely chopped by a
meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground
meat is
ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, including
pork,
veal,
lamb, and
poultry. In the Indian subcontinent, both lamb and
goat meat are also minced to produce ''keema.''
Dishes
Ground meat is used in a wide variety of dishes, by itself, or mixed with other ingredients. It may be formed into
meatballs which are then fried, baked, steamed, or braised. They may be cooked on a
skewer to produce dishes such as ''
kabab koobideh'', ''
adana kebabı'' and ''
ćevapi''. It may be formed into
patties which are then grilled or fried (
hamburger), breaded and fried (''
menchi-katsu'',
Pozharsky cutlet), or braised (
Salisbury steak). It may be formed into
meatloaves or
pâtés and baked. It may also be used as a filling or stuffing for
meat pies and ''
böreks'', and also as
stuffing. It may be made into meat
sauce such as
ragù, which in turn is used in dishes like
pastitsio and
moussaka, or mixed with sauce and served on a bun as a
sloppy joe sandwich. It may also be cooked with beans, tomatoes, and/or spices to make
chili con carne.
Indian subcontinent

''Keema'' or ''qeema'' is used in a variety of dishes such as a
stewed or
fried curry dish of minced
beef,
mutton (i.e.,
goat meat or chevon) or other kinds of meat with
green peas or potatoes. It usually includes
ghee/
butter, onions, garlic,
ginger,
chilis, and spices. ''Keema'' can be grilled on a skewer, and called
''seekh'' kebab, or used as a filling for
samosas or
naan.
The word ultimately comes from the
Turkic word ''qıyma'' meaning 'minced meat', and is thus related to the
Persian ''
qeyme'',
Turkish ''kıyma'', and
Greek ''kimás''.
Food safety
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. This is why, for example, it is typically safe for humans to consume steak that is cooked "rare" in such a way that the interior of the cut remains red in colour - the searing of the exterior of the meat is enough to kill any bacteria on the surface. However, when meat is ground, bacterial contamination from the surface can be distributed throughout the meat. If ground beef is not well cooked all the way through, there is a significant chance that enough pathogenic bacteria will survive to cause illness. Moreover, the warming will speed the reproduction of bacteria. Undercooked
Jack in the Box hamburgers contaminated in this manner were responsible for four deaths and the illness of hundreds of people in 1993.
To ensure the safety of ground meat distributed through the
National School Lunch Program, food banks, federal food and nutrition programs, the
United States Department of Agriculture has established food safety and quality requirements for the ground beef it purchases. A 2010
United States National Research Council report reviewed the scientific basis of the Department's ground beef safety standards, evaluated how the standards compare to those used by large retail and commercial food service purchasers of ground beef, and looked at ways to establish periodic evaluations of the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program. The report found that although the safety requirements could be strengthened using scientific concepts, the prevention of future outbreaks of food-borne disease will depend on eliminating contamination during production and ensuring meat is properly cooked before it is served.
The report in Brief An Evaluation of the Food Safety Requirements of the Federal Purchase of Ground Beef Program
See also
* Forcemeat
* Mincemeat
* Pink slime
References
{{Authority control
Category:Meat industry