The Ultimate Ground Beef Buying Guide | Epicurious

Presenter / Source

• Jake Dickson (owner/operator, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, NYC) — “The Ultimate Ground Beef Buying Guide | Epicurious”.

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Ingredients (for the examples / tasting)

No specific burger recipe ingredients are provided beyond beef. The only seasoner mentioned:

• Salt — “heavily salt” (quantity not specified)

The demos focus on:

• Ground beef fat ratios: 73/27, 80/20, 93/7 (and discussion mentions 95/5)
• Grass-fed vs grain-finished claims (no other ingredients listed)

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Key Methods & What the Chef Demonstrates (with technique cues)

1) Choosing quality by “claims” (buyer guidance; not cooking)

He advises checking the package claims, such as:

• No antibiotics ever
• No hormones ever
• USDA organic
• Certified animal welfare
• Pasture raised
• Regenerative

He also notes:

• “All natural” with an asterisk is described as minimally processed, but does not automatically mean no antibiotics/hormones.

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2) Grass-fed vs grain-finished taste test (no explicit temperatures)

He runs a “little taste test” across different burgers:

• Grass-fed can be dry/granular, though his sample didn’t show that.
• In his test result:
  • #1 and #3: grain-finished
  • #2: grass-fed
• He reports #2 tasted slightly more flavorful in his comparisons.

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3) Fat-ratio cooking behavior tests (sauté + pour-off + griddle + shrinkage)

He compares fat ratios by cooking them similarly and observing outcomes.

Sauté test (pan)

He sautéed 2 lb of each fat ratio (73/27, 80/20, 93/7) to show:

• 73/27 (higher fat):
  • Renders “a tremendous amount” of fat
  • Heavy shrinkage
  • “Fried bits” and more browning from rendered fat
• 80/20:
  • Good amount of rendering
  • Noticeable browning
  • Expects juicier results without pouring off excessive fat
• 93/7 (lean):
  • Pan is “almost completely dry”
  • “No fat to render”
  • Less browning and different texture

Pour-off test

He pours off rendered fat:

• 73/27: lots renders off
• 80/20: decent, manageable amount
• 93/7: “nothing” comes out; “dry as a bone”

Griddle test

• Cook order: fattier to leanest
• Observations:
  • Fatty blend renders quickly → predicts/observes shrinkage
  • 80/20: caramelization/browning occurs without excessive rendering
  • 93/7: little/no rendering; leaks “weird pink ooze” (texture differs)
• He then pulls patties and lets them rest (resting time not specified).

Tasting conclusions

• 73/27: juicy but “needs salt”; may taste “a little greasy” due to rendered fat coating the mouth
• 80/20: good texture and juiciness; preferred for burgers
• 93/7: very low flavor impact; he argues protein difference vs 80/20 is minimal, recommending 80/20 for eating quality

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4) Packaging method guidance + timing (buyer-focused)

No cooking temperatures are given; timing is about freshness.

MAP (modified atmosphere packaging)

• Uses inert gas (vacuum-like) that still allows a display look.
• May lack a packed by date (only sell-by/use-by).
• Even if not spoiled, it may not taste best after time in the package.

Vacuum sealed

• Helps freshness for longer.
• Good for freezing (reduces freezer burn).
• He suggests vacuum-sealed is appropriate for about the next ~5 days.

Freshly ground supermarket tray + saran wrap

• Short shelf life.
• Recommendation: use within 24 hours if buying freshly ground and packaged.

Color / blooming check

• Meat looks darker when very fresh (less oxygen exposure).
• After about 10 minutes, it turns rosy red.
• If it shifts from dark to redder → fresher.
• If it doesn’t → past prime.

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5) Making patties: avoid overworking; hand-mold technique

He recommends hand forming over a patty machine.

Formation technique (burger)

• Example size: about 1/2 lb for a “big burger” (quantity given; not a full recipe).
• He likes to:
  • Heavily salt
  • Work the meat a little to help “pull out proteins” and get some bind, but not too much

How to shape

• Form a ball and toss back and forth, squeezing lightly, “just to get a little bit of bind.”
• Mold by hand:
  • Make a C with fingers, rotate with thumb, press to shape.
• Goal: symmetrical patties that cook evenly.
• Doneness guidance:
  • With meat he trusts: rare or medium-rare
  • With unknown sourcing: cook well done (food-safety concern)
• He emphasizes using a thermometer, because color alone isn’t reliable for patties.

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6) Why pre-made patties may be tougher (buyer + technique comparison)

• Commercial patties use a patty machine that can overwork meat and draw out proteins (myosin), creating a tougher texture.
• Frozen patties: he suggests they may be slightly better because freezing “stops the process of binding,” though sourcing still matters.
• Resting/cooking color factors:
  • Pre-formed patties may develop persistent pinking because they were formed earlier and sat, even when cooked to similar temperature.

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Equipment Referenced

• Meat grinder (explained conceptually)
• Pan (for sauté tests)
• Griddle (for burger / fat-ratio tests)
• Pour-off container / area (implied)
• Thermometer (explicitly recommended)
• USDA / labels / packaging inspection (buyer-focused)

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Chef Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t rely on “USDA prime” for ground beef: marbling can be adjusted during grinding, so “prime” is less meaningful for burgers.
• Claims matter more than breed: breed matters less for ground beef because the fat/lean ratio is “crafted.”
• Fat ratio affects cooking and shrinkage dramatically:
  • Very lean → can be dry/low flavor
  • Very fatty → can render a lot, be greasy, and be costly
• Prefer 80/20 for an all-purpose balance (juiciness + manageable render).
• Avoid overworking meat when forming patties:
  • Too much mixing/binding pulls proteins (myosin) → tougher burgers
• Avoid fresh pre-made patties unless you’re sure they were made that day.
• Use a thermometer; don’t judge doneness by color alone.

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Variation Guidance (concise)

Grass-fed vs grain-finished

• Different flavors/textures
• Grain-finished may taste more “generic burger”
• Grass-fed can be drier/granular sometimes (not always)

Fat ratios

• 73/27: juiciest but greasier; high shrinkage; lots of rendered fat/pour-off
• 80/20: best balance for burgers (juicy, flavorful, manageable render)
• 93/7: lean, low flavor, little render; can look dry
• 95/5: “almost no fat”; not recommended unless fat-restricted; expected poor juiciness/flavor

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Resting / Serving Notes

• After griddle cooking, he lets patties rest (rest time not specified).
• The overall goal is burger enjoyment; no special plating or serving setup is described beyond making burgers at home.

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Referenced Source

• Video is presented as Epicurious; presenter is Jake Dickson of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats (NYC).
• No external written sources are cited in the subtitles.