What is the Difference Between Hamburger and Ground Beef?

What is the Difference Between Hamburger and Ground Beef?

Ground beef is one of the most famous foods in the United States. Studies show that Americans consume about 2 billion pounds of ground beef annually. This translates to a staggering 5.5 billion U.S. dollars on ground beef alone. So exactly what is ground beef and which is the best variety for optimum health?

More...

Consumers are aware of the terms ground beef and hamburger, and most of the times, these terms are used interchangeably. We can define Ground beef as meat that is made up of only the skeletal muscles, and meat that is attached to the bone with no variety of organ meat. 

Some manufacturer also refers to ground beef as ground round, chuck, or sirloin. When you find these labels, they mean that only primal trims or cuts are allowed into that product. 

Read Best manual meat grinder reviews and which smokers are perfect for grilling.

Is there a difference between the ground beef and hamburger?

Although most meat packages usually identify the cut of meat, the various labeling that comes with the ground beef can be confusing. We have different types of ground beef including ground round which comes from a specific cut. 

We also have the hamburger that usually contends meat that is sourced from more than one cut. All ground beef, be it ground cut or hamburger is loaded with protein, Vitamin B12, Zinc, and Iron. 

However, the number of calories, protein, and fat that you get will depend on the cut of meat.

Cuts of Beef:

To paint a clear picture let’s start by talking about the cuts of meat. Beef is cut into eight segments, which are referred as primal cuts. These cuts come from specific sections of the animal. 

Starting from the shoulder, then moving across the upper part of the animal, we have four cuts namely rib, chuck, loin and round. Next, beginning from the front leg then moving along the bottom half that is towards the back legs we also have other four cuts namely brisket, short plate, shank, and flank. 

As mentioned earlier each of the primal cuts has different characteristics in the amount of fat and muscle. This determines the flavor of meat and whether it is tender or soft.

Ground Beef vs. Hamburger

As mentioned earlier, ground beef usually used by many individuals to mean the same thing as hamburger meat. This meat usually contains the trimming of any of the primal cuts. The only difference between the two is that the ground beef has lesser fat. 

The hamburger meat is allowed to have more fat as long as it does not have more than thirty percent of the total fat. It is usually made using the shank which is less expensive and then mixed with fat to come up with a budget-friendly yet flavorful ground meat.

hamburger

Ground Round and Chuck:

The difference between the ground chuck and ground round usually arises depending on the selection where the meat was cut. The round beef cuts are usually made from the hind legs and tend to become dry when overcooked. 

On the other hand, the ground chuck is made from the juicy shoulder. This meat has enough fat needed to add juiciness and flavor making it the best choice for hamburgers.

Remember although both the ground chuck as well as eighty percent of the lean ground beef comes with a similar taste. We also have other notable differences. These differences are in terms of calories, protein, and fat. 

For this reason, you need to look at the best ground beef that meets your nutrition needs. To make the best decision, you should visit your doctor to get a professional dietary advice.

Calories:

The number of calories differs when it comes to eighty percent of lean ground and ground chuck. For instance, a four-ounce piece of eighty percent lean ground beef has 278 calories while the same piece of the ground chuck has 380 calories. 

Well, the 102 calories might not seem to be a lot as it is only five percent of the daily intake of two thousand calories. However, it does make a difference for people who do not make a lot of exercises daily. 

However, the weightlifters can rejoice as you can burn the 102 calories in less than thirty minutes of weight lifting.

Fat:

The number of calories differs because of the fat content in the two varieties of ground beef. In a four ounce serving the 80 percent, lean ground beef has about 18 grams of fat while 30 grams fat in the same piece of the ground chuck. 

According to the American heart association, you should consume about 50 to 70 grams of fat daily. For this reason, the 12 grams difference is significant especially when you consider this is a four-ounce piece of meat. 

If you love meat and eat about 10 grams of chuck, you will be way past the limit. However, if you go for the leaner beef, you will still be within the allowed limit.

Protein:

There is no much difference between the protein you get from the ground chuck and eighty percent lean ground beef. A four-ounce piece of the ground chuck has 26 grams of protein while the same piece of the eighty percent lean ground beef has 27.2 differences.

Carbohydrate:

Both the eighty percent lean ground beef and ground chuck doesn’t have any carbohydrates. This makes them great low carbohydrate diets. However, you should watch what you eat together with the ground beef. This is because we usually eat the ground beef with carbohydrate-rich foods such as baked beans or wheat bans.

Taste:

Even though our taste preferences vary, the ground chuck tends to have a taste that is rich, flavorful. Owing to the fact that the ground chuck has more calories, the rich flavor is not surprising as the dietary fats give foods a flavor.

In conclusion, we would like to offer you with safety tips when preparing the ground beef. First, when the meat is ground, there is a tendency of the surface bacteria mixing with the ground beef. Keeping the ground beef in a refrigerator at forty degrees Fahrenheit or lower will keep the bacteria from growing. Additionally, you should cook any type of ground beef with an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F to destroy any harmful bacteria.

Sharing is Caring!
Theresa Lori
 

Hi, I'm Theresa. My passion for grilling delicacy gradually built during the time I was living with my parents. My family members especially my mother was a great fan of grilled dishes to and from the love of food. I started preparing smoked food with my mom. This bonding helped me to know more and more about to smoke, grill what always I share on SmokeGears.com. So, in two words you can call me a BBQ lover.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments