Turn Ground Beef On Its Hearty Head And Cook It Like This For A Ton Of Extra Flavor

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ground beef? For many people, it's burgers, whether pan-fried or grilled. Other recipes, however, call for it to be cooked loose. If you're browning it for bolognese sauce or a casserole, Jennifer Borchardt suggests that you try slow-cooking the meat. She knows a thing or two about beef-cooking techniques because she works as a culinary director for beef retailer Pre Brands.

"Slow-cooking ground beef is a great option for getting deep, rich flavors," said Borchardt. "When you're making something like a chili or sloppy joes, you want your beef sitting in all those spices and sauces for as long as possible." While you can fully cook ground beef in a crockpot, start to finish, she suggests you add an extra step to the process. "You should always brown your beef before adding it to a slow cooker," Borchardt said. "Every time you brown your beef, you're creating something called the Maillard reaction, which is the same chemical reaction that makes bread brown and the reason we roast our coffee beans. Basically, heating proteins produces hundreds of flavor compounds and aromas that wouldn't be there without this step." As you brown the beef, you can also break it up (try using this unexpected kitchen tool) so it can be completely incorporated with the other ingredients in your slow cooker recipe, instead of clumping up.

Chances are, you're not going to be slow-cooking the ground beef on its own, but if you're freestyling without a recipe, Jennifer Borchardt has a few suggestions on how to flavor it. " ... you can never go wrong with salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper. This is a great place to start any dish, but to really make it pop, you could add Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, or oregano," she advised. Borchardt is also a fan of a Japanese condiment called shio koji, which is made from grain (usually rice) inoculated with a special type of mold called Aspergillus oryzae before being fermented with salt and water. According to Borchardt, "It adds a umami boost of flavor that really brings out the beefiness in ground beef and steaks."

Another way to add flavor to your slow-cooked ground beef is to mix it with ground pork, since the sum of the two meats is greater than the individual parts. You could bulk up the beef with finely-chopped mushrooms, add some onions, or stir in some tomato paste. You can also add this umami-packed ingredient that can make even Hamburger Helper taste fancy. It's equally tasty in ground beef-based dishes that don't start with a packaged mix, as well.