When Ground Beef Didn't Shrink

There was a time if you made a 5 inch ground beef patty for hamburger after you cooked it / it was almost still a 5 inch patty.

Today you make a 5 inch patty and it'll shrink to around 3 and 1/2 inches, and that's with the 80% less fat.

There was no ground chuck, no round ground, no 80% less fat, just plain old ground beef, and much more tastier.

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MarkPaul · 26-30, M

Tell me the part again how you used to walk in the snow, uphill both ways, to return a book. I love that part of the story.

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MarkPaul · 26-30, M

@MaBalzEsHari I am confident that's not a sign of intelligence. But, I'm sure you think things were SO MUCH better before digital clocks.

Charity · 61-69

@MarkPaul

https://www.texasdisposal.com/blog/land-pollution/#:~:text=February%205%2C%202024,the%20environment%20and%20human%20health

https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(22)00043-4#:~:text=An%20estimated%202.4%20billion%20people,household%20chemicals%2C%20and%20emerging%20contaminants.&text=1.,-UNESCO&text=The%20most%20prevalent%20water%20quality,of%20sewage%20and%20untreated%20wastewater.&text=In%20India%2C%2080%25%20of%20the,two%20million%20deaths%20per%20annum.&text=5.,McCarthy%2C%20J.&text=6.&text=7

https://www.clarity.io/blog/different-air-pollution-sources-over-the-centuries#:~:text=During%20this%20time%20period%2C%20air,areas%20well%20into%20the%201900s

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide#:~:text=Fossil%20fuels%20overwhelm%20Earth's%20natural,data%20from%20NOAA%20and%20ETHZ

🥱 No actually 🥺😟

UnderLockDown · M

I absolutely agree!! Some of it's because of transglutaminase, or meat glue. I think ground beef ends up with quite a bit of it, and it makes it taste like cardboard.

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UnderLockDown · M

😫 I have been craving a really good steak for about a week now, but it's so expensive! 😭 Plus, finding a truly good piece of beef is a toss up, grocery store quality kind of sucks!

Rubbed with salt and pepper, fried in butter with rosemary or thyme and some chopped garlic...🤤

MaBalzEsHari · 36-40, M

It is now legal to add 30% water to ground meat. Meaning you are only buying about 2/3 of a pound of actual meat for every pound you pay for. That is why you see 1/3 shrinkage.

Charity · 61-69

@MaBalzEsHari yep between water and fat. I bought ground beef from a well-known store once in the 5 lb tube and it was so full of fat it was ridiculous, oh you could see was white, I cooked it for my dog.

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YoMomma ·

Yeah they add water and fat and other fillers to things for weight

DyingDaily · M

Ok boomer let’s go take your meds now

Charity · 61-69

@DyingDaily took my meds this morning, hope you live as long

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Charity · 61-69

@Iwillwait oh it's NOW being shipped out, I hear more about tainted fruit, and tainted greens, tainted lettuce then I do painted meat.

From what I heard the US stopped imported beef coming in from Mexico in November of 2024. And as of NOW still not importing beef from Mexico over the screw worm parasite.

https://uscattlemen.org/usca-sends-letter-over-concerns-with-mexican-beef/

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/06/nx-s1-5494237/mexico-parasite-cattle-exports-screwworm

Iwillwait · M

@Charity Hope it stays enforced.

I eat a ton of avocado and bananas from MX, I am not that concerned about that. Most of the food in MX is far superior to our food in not having tons of chemicals and additives.

Charity · 61-69

@Iwillwait

Yes hopefully and most likely it will, until the US is sure the beef is worm free.

There was a recall on avocados shipped from California to a few States in the early part of this year and those from Mexico were not affected. Listeria found in the packing plant.

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