Besides stubbing my toe, nothing enrages me quite like accidentally buying a low-fat version of a product I love. I still haven’t forgiven myself for the Low-Fat Sour Cream Incident of 2016, and I don’t know that I ever will. A similar rage almost overtook me recently when I grabbed a package of extra lean ground beef instead of my usual 80/20, but then I remembered the magic of ground pork.
Most sausage-grade pork contains a fair amount of fat (around 25-30%), making it a perfect partner for even the saddest, leanest beef. Mixing equal parts by mass of the two meats gives you a fatty blend that won’t dry out during long cooking times, making it ideal for dishes like meatloaf. It also makes a great meatball, because pork and tomato are two great tastes that taste great together.
Photo: McCormick
If you’re a burger purist, this combination might not thrill you at first, but I prefer to look at the shift in flavor profile as an opportunity to explore new toppings. I rarely stray from classic toppings on an all-beef burger, but a pork-and-beef hybrid frees me from these restraints. (Try it with miso-butter mushrooms and crispy shallots.) The mix o’ meat can also help shake up taco night, particularly if you are a fan of crispy shell taco kit tacos.
So next time you or a loved one returns from the store with an unintended allotment of lean beef, don’t fret. Practice forgiveness, grab some ground pork, and make a meatloaf. Meatloaf is healing, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
This article was written by Claire Lower on Skillet and shared by Claire Lower to Lifehacker from Lifehacker and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
