How to Drain Fat from Ground Beef

When you cook ground beef, you'll need to drain the excess grease and fat from the skillet. By following my tips, you won't clog up your drains (or your arteries!)

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ground beef
• paper towels
• paper plate
• mug or tin can
• pie plate or dinner plate
• slotted spoon
• hot pad

1. 

   You'll want to try to remove the grease from the pan while it's still liquid. Right after I'm done browning the ground beef, I tilt the skillet with a hot pad underneath.
   
   *It's really important to do this over a cool burner, not the hot burner you just used!
   
   Slide the cooked beef to the top of the skillet so the grease will pool at the bottom of pan. Let it drain for a few minutes.

2. 

   Next you take the paper plate(s) and place them over a dinner plate or a pie plate. Fold a few paper towels up and place on top of the paper plate(s). I usually try to put about 1-lb. of cooked ground beef on each plate. If I've cooked 5-lbs., I need 5 plates. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the ground beef out of the skillet and onto the plate. Once all of the meat is transferred to the plates, let it sit for a few more minutes to continue draining.

3. 

   Meanwhile, I empty the liquid fat from the skillet into an old can or even into an unused coffee mug. After a few weeks or months when the can/mug is full, either throw away the can or empty out the mug into the trash and wash the cup.

4. 

   After the meat has drained, you can either cook with it or freeze it for later.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wash your hands after touching raw meat.

[pianistic]

on 10/6/2008 Great!