Ground meat facts for kids

ground meat

Ground meat is simply meat that has been chopped into very small pieces. This is usually done with a special machine called a meat grinder. Sometimes, people use a chopping knife to do it by hand.

Cooking with Ground Meat

Ground meat is super versatile! People use it in many different meals. You can cook it by itself or mix it with other yummy ingredients.

Meatballs and Patties

You can shape ground meat into meatballs. These can be fried, baked, steamed, or even cooked slowly in liquid (this is called braising). Meatballs are often put on skewers, like in dishes such as kabab koobideh or ćevapi.

Ground meat can also be shaped into flat, round pieces called patties. A famous example is the hamburger, which is a grilled or fried patty. Other types include menchi-katsu, which are breaded and fried, or Salisbury steak, which is braised.

Loaves, Fillings, and Sauces

Sometimes, ground meat is pressed into a loaf shape and baked, like a meatloaf. It can also be made into a smooth spread called a pâté.

Ground meat is great for filling other foods. It's used as a stuffing for meat pies and böreks.

It's also a main ingredient in many sauces. A popular one is ragù, which is a rich meat sauce. Ragù is used in dishes like pastitsio and moussaka. You can also cook ground meat in a sauce to make dishes like chili con carne or keema.

Images for kids

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  Ground meat being prepared for sausage making.

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  Keema curry in a bun (pau), a popular Mumbai street food.

See also

In Spanish: Carne picada para niños