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Old 15-03-2010, 22:01
bobgob
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I feel really stupid asking this, but nothing ventured, nothing gained LOL.

I want to cook mince for 8 people, but I haven't a clue how to do it.

How much mince do I need? How much stock do I need? How long do I cook it for and what is the best way? Do I brown it first? When do I add the veg?

I could go on lol.

If someone could kindly give me a very basic idiots guide to making perfect mince, I'd be very grateful.
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Old 15-03-2010, 22:06
jojo01
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Here's how I cook mince (for a cottage pie) with quantities for 8:

Chop 2 onions and put in a pan with 1kg mince. Brown the mince and drain off the fat.
Add a 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and a splosh of worcester sauce and mix in, and then cook gently for a minute or two.
Chop 4 carrots into smallish pieces and add to the mince mixture with enough beef stock to just cover it.
Simmer gently until the carrots are cooked and the mixture has thickened.

If you're making a cottage pie, I always find it easier to put the cooked mince into the dish and allow it to cool before adding the mashed potato on top (otherwise it can sink!)

Of course, you can add other things you like to mince (e.g. tin of tomatoes, herbs, garlic etc) depending on what you like and what sort of thing you're making - e.g. for spag bol, I'd add a tin of tomatoes, garlic and herbs and leave out the carrots.
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Old 15-03-2010, 22:09
whoever,hey
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What sort of thing are you trying to make? Step 2 here explains about cooking the mince with some added flavour
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes...ecipe_p_1.html

You could chop your veg and add it 2-3 mins after your mince when its coloured. Root veg like carrots will need some liquid to cook in though. Lid on pan will help aswell.
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Old 15-03-2010, 22:17
bobgob
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It's for tatties n' mince. Thanks for the replies so far.
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Old 15-03-2010, 23:40
norbitonite
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For savoury mince, I use pretty much the same method as outlined above, and definitely always brown the mince otherwise you'll end up with unappetising mush. However, to add some extra savouriness, I use a can of beef consommé - or even good old Oxtail soup - in place of the stock, and a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs. As well as the diced root vegetables (carrot and swede would be my favourites) that go in at the same time as the stock, I also add a drained can of processed peas 5 minutes before the end of cooking, and a couple of squares of 70% cocoa dark chocolate. It really adds to the flavour.

Oh, and if I've got any to hand, I add a good 'sploosh' of red wine (that's a small glassful!) after I've drained the fat and before I add the consommé/soup.

Perfect comfort food that I like to serve with boiled potatoes that I then squish into the mince with my fork.
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Old 16-03-2010, 08:05
indianwells
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I sweat finely chopped onion, celery, a finely chopped clove of garlic and carrot in olive oil until soft on a medium heat. I then turn up the heat and add the mince and break it up until it's lost its pink colour.
Now I add a squirt of tomato puree, a tbsp of flour, a slug of Worcester, salt, pepper, and a good pinch of dried mixed herbs. Stir all together, then add beef stock until just covered. Simmer on a low heat for an hour or more. Adjust seasoning at the end.
Sorry, i've never done quantities when cooking mince.
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Old 16-03-2010, 14:02
SweetyPie2006
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good grief I'm old fashioned then



I brown a kilo of mince with 1 chopped onion and a crumbled up oxo cube, once its all nicely browned, add about 4 chopped carrots, and about 1.5 litres boiling water - or enough to cover the surface of the mince.
Put a lid on, and simmer away for a few hours to soften it all up Once you're ready to serve, just chuck in a load of gravy granules to thicken up the gravy , stir around till its all melted in and serve!
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Old 16-03-2010, 14:08
whackyracer
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I sweat finely chopped onion, celery, a finely chopped clove of garlic and carrot in olive oil until soft on a medium heat. I then turn up the heat and add the mince and break it up until it's lost its pink colour.
Now I add a squirt of tomato puree, a tbsp of flour, a slug of Worcester, salt, pepper, and a good pinch of dried mixed herbs. Stir all together, then add beef stock until just covered. Simmer on a low heat for an hour or more. Adjust seasoning at the end.
Sorry, i've never done quantities when cooking mince.
This.

I find if i brown the mince off first without any onion, garlic etc in the pan, it always has less pleasant taste then when I do it the other way.
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Old 16-03-2010, 18:14
mrs_buckley
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If I'm doing mince and dumplings, I fry the mince with half an onion until the mince is all brown, use a slotted spoon to lift it out of the pan without all the fat, then add it to a pyrex dish with the other half of the onion chopped in there, a couple of carrots and a parsnip. Crumble an oxo on top, add enough water to cover, season, I also add a generous glug of soy sauce, then the lid goes on the dish and it goes in the oven on gas 7 for 45 mins or so. After that, lid comes off, gravy granules are added to thicken it up, dumplings are put on top and then it gets about a half hour on gas 6 till the dumplings are done. Easy!
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Old 16-03-2010, 18:22
bornfree
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I read that as 'How to cook mice'. Only realised after the first couple of posts that it was about mince. I cook quorn mince in lots of sauce and use if to make shepards pie.
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Old 16-03-2010, 18:45
shazzyfizz
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I sweat finely chopped onion, celery, a finely chopped clove of garlic and carrot in olive oil until soft on a medium heat. I then turn up the heat and add the mince and break it up until it's lost its pink colour.
Now I add a squirt of tomato puree, a tbsp of flour, a slug of Worcester, salt, pepper, and a good pinch of dried mixed herbs. Stir all together, then add beef stock until just covered. Simmer on a low heat for an hour or more. Adjust seasoning at the end.
Sorry, i've never done quantities when cooking mince.
This is my method too! I always make double and freeze half for later
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Old 16-03-2010, 18:59
Miriams Sister
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I add a teaspoon of Schwartz chilli powder to make it tasty.
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:00
chattamanuk
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I read that as 'How to cook mice'. Only realised after the first couple of posts that it was about mince. I cook quorn mince in lots of sauce and use if to make shepards pie.

Remind me to politely decline if ever invited to yours for cottage pie
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:01
bornfree
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Remind me to politely decline if ever invited to yours for cottage pie
I am a vegetarian, couldn't understand why there was a thread about mice. BTW I am terrified of mice.
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:04
shazzyfizz
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I am a vegetarian, couldn't understand why there was a thread about mice. BTW I am terrified of mice.
I always buy my mince from the local farm shop - it's head and shoulders above the supermarket mince - and no more expensive either!
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:06
chattamanuk
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I always buy my mince from the local farm shop - it's head and shoulders above the supermarket mince - and no more expensive either!
Good to have you back Mantey
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:10
shazzyfizz
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Good to have you back Mantey
OMG am I sounding that pretentious
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:12
chattamanuk
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Not at all, just having a laugh.
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:18
whoever,hey
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OMG am I sounding that pretentious
Nah, i get mine from the butchers. Doesn't contain as much water.
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:42
SeasideLady
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You can also just cook mince in the oven .
750g good quality minced beef
2 onions diced
400ml boiling water with a beef stock cube dissolved in it
salt and pepper

Heat oven to Gas4/180. Mix the meat with the onions in a lidded casserole. Pour over the stock and season well. Put the lid on and cook for half an hour. Then take off the lid and let it cook another 30 mins.
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Old 16-03-2010, 19:46
cosmo
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Brown the mince in a pan with a little oil. Make sure you break it up as you're cooking it. I use an egg slice for this.

Put a metal colander over a bowl and drain the mince to get all the dirty fat and oil out of it. Press it down a bit to squeeze it out.

Tip the mince into a saucepan and leave to one side.

Peel, chop & dice two large carrots and boil them in a pot with some garden peas until softish. Drain them over a large bowl and save the water.

Add the carrots and peas to the mince and mix it up a bit.

Add a little of the water to a cup and dissolve two knorr vegetable cubes in it. Pour it into the saucepan with the mince and veg. Use a little more of the water to dissolve one knorr beef cube. Add that to the mince. Use some more of the water to make a thickish gravy with bisto gravy granules. Add that to the mince and veg.

You should end up with a thickish mix. Finely chop one onion and add that.

Put it over a low heat and stir frequently making sure it doesn't stick to the pot.

Serve with mashed potatoes and extra bisto if people want it.

The same mince dish can be used to make cottage pie.
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Old 16-03-2010, 21:52
bobgob
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Just a quick post to say thank you to everyone for being so helpful. I think I got it sussed now!
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Old 17-03-2010, 19:47
Wallasey Saint
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My method is, put the Mince into the Saucepan, then chop up Onions, Mushroom & Red & Green Peppers[or any other Veg you want to put in], fill the Mince with Water, bring to the boil, & simmer for 25 to 30 min, then cover the Mince & leave it overnight, for the flavors to marinade[always tastes better if you eat it, the following day]. Do the Gravy the following day. but, use the stock in the Mince.
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Old 20-03-2010, 00:39
Sad_BB_Addict
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http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes...ecipe_p_1.html

Tried this (mentioned above) tonight.
Lovely. I think it's simmering to evaporate the wine (but leave the flavour behind) then adding chicken stock that makes it special.
Half as savoury mince tonight, the rest for cottage pie in a couple of days methinks.
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Old 20-03-2010, 00:51
BigBHM
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This is my home made Chilli Con Carne (which I am going to make tomorrow) :

In a casserole (large pan) add two onions - one chopped fine, and one chopped into chunks, to begin sweating.
While they are sweating, take 1kg of mince, and brown in sections (to avoid sweating) in a frying pan, and as each section browns, add into the onion.

When all the mince is in the big pan with the onion, turn up to full and pour in 1/2 a litre of tomato passata (very cheap from supermarkets) and one tin of chopped tomatoes.

Add three finely chopped cloves of garlic, a drained tin of Red Kidney Beans (or any beans of your choice) a good dollop of Ketchup, a dessertspoon of tomato puree, a good dsah of Worcester Sauce and also of Soya Sauce (to darken the sauce) and Chilli Powder to taste (if you don't like super hot, choose mild chilli powder, then it doesn't matter so much how much you add). You can add finely chopped chillis if you like, but I can't afford that lol.
Top up with boiling water to cover, and add in a beef stock cube.

Stir well, and put a lid on - but not tightly, so there is a gap, simmer on a very low heat for about 1 1/2 hrs, stirring every 20 minutes or so to avoid burning/sticking.

Serve with Rice, and a small pile of grated cheese.

mmmm.


For extra richness, I also like to add ONE chunk of DARK (70%) chocolate per serving - but this is obviously optional. Any more chocolate and it would be too rich, but trust me, it really works.

nb: I tend to use Turkey Mince myself, as I don't eat red meat, but it's all the same really.
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