Wacky Tools: The "Let's Make Finely Ground Beef" Tool

1/23/2012

My Best-Ever Way to Prepare
Cooked Finely Ground Beef

     I was talking with a friend last week about cooking with ground beef, and she mentioned that she enjoys cooking with ground beef except that she hadn't figured out a way to get the ground beef fine enough to work well in tacos.

     That got me to thinking.

    I know - that's scary.

     But once in a while, I have a good thought or two.

     I mentioned to her that I had a hair-brained idea a number of years ago, and I grabbed my el-cheapo old-fashioned-style potato masher and began using it to separate the ground beef as it was cooking.

     So how did the potato masher work out?

     Well, after all these years, I find that I always use this when cooking ground beef in my frying pan - and I never use it for making mashed potatoes.

     How's that for odd?

Here's how it works:

     Instead of standing at the frying pan, using a spoon or other utensil to break up the ground beef for 10 minutes as it is cooking, I use the potato masher in much the same way I'd use it with mashed potatoes. Holding it upright, I push down in circular motions.

     The difference is that instead of standing at the frying pan the entire time, working on breaking up the ground beef, I just need to work at it a few times every few minutes with the potato masher.

     Sure, the partially raw meat tends to get stuck in the grooves back and forth in the masher, but I just firmly tap the masher against the edge of the frying pan, and the meat quickly falls back into the pan to cook.

     Now to you, maybe it's no big deal to stand at the frying pan for 10 minutes, trying to break the meat up into very small pieces. But even then, it's much more difficult to get the ground beef fine enough, taco-style, when you don't want larger clumps of meat.

     I'm slower in the kitchen...I don't sling hash like some women can...so any time I can save a few minutes to enable me to work on other parts of the meal, that is a good thing!

     I haven't seen an old-fashioned potato masher in the stores for a while now...but I admit I also haven't been looking for one, either. Amazon.com has my favorite brand of kitchen utensils, OXO Good Grips, and they sell an old-fashioned potato masher. I guarantee you, the OXO masher is far better than what I currently own. But since mine ain't broke, why fix it?

     I'm not an affiliate for Amazon.com, so I have nothing to gain from linking to the picture, below. If you're curious in learning more about the OXO Good Grips potato masher, just click on the photo, below, and you can check it out.

That's my "wacky tool" of the week ~ a tool I use regularly in our home that isn't being used as it was originally designed!

What wacky tools do you have in your home, that you use for a different purpose?

Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

9 Comments

Susan link

1/23/2012 03:06:19 am

Oh, Julieanne! I NEED to try this, and yes I do have an old fashioned potato masher. I use it for a lot of things, including mashing refried beans I make in the crockpot and breaking up tomatoes in spaghetti sauce...it never occurred to me to try it with ground beef. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and, frankly, standing over the stove and breaking up lumps with a spoon is just plain painful. I need to pin this. Thanks for sharing it. ;0)

Julieanne

1/24/2012 02:09:33 am

Hi, Susan! Well, see, you already have that old-fashioned potato masher, and it sounds like you're putting it to some good use already! :) I use mine for mashing homemade refried beans, too. I tend to use diced tomatoes in my spaghetti sauce, though, so I don't use it for the tomatoes. Glad to have been able to give you another good idea to help save time and pain for yourself when you're cooking!

Laura Lane link

1/24/2012 05:20:22 am

visiting from the Crew.

This is a great idea!
I'm definitely going to try it next time I brown ground beef.

Stefanie link

1/24/2012 06:40:14 am

What a great idea! I'm trying that next time I'm cooking ground meat.

Erika link

1/25/2012 11:42:30 am

That's a great idea! I use the Pampered Chef mix 'n chop to cook my meat, but this would work just as well. :)

Mary link

1/26/2012 04:35:18 am

What a great idea!!! I am going to pin this!

Beth

1/27/2012 04:29:13 am

Great minds think alike. I always use my potato masher to break up ground beef!

Julieanne

1/27/2012 08:18:59 am

Thanks, all of you, for taking the time to come over and leave a comment! I appreciate you!

Lora link

1/29/2012 04:04:30 am

I have that OXO Good Grips masher & I love it! I do use it to mash potatoes all the time, too:) Never thought of using it to break up ground meat, but that's a great idea!

Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.

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