Choosing mince for sauce, burgers and meatballs

For a sauce, think about the whole recipe

In a tomato and vegetable sauce, meat is one part of the dish. Plan the quantity around your portions, pasta and other ingredients. Before adding a generous amount of oil, consider what the recipe and the meat already contribute.

Beef mince and mixed mince are different products. Your preference may depend on taste or household dietary choices, so do not guess the blend from its colour.

For burgers, check the mixture

Ask which meats it contains, about the fat content and whether it has already been seasoned. This helps you avoid heavily salting a ready-seasoned mixture. If you buy shaped patties, check their size against the buns you plan to use.

There is no need to insist on one supposedly perfect ratio for every recipe. Explain the result you want and how you will cook it.

For meatballs, remember the other ingredients

Egg, breadcrumbs, onion and other additions change the texture and finished quantity. Follow your recipe rather than adding extra breadcrumbs as soon as the mixture feels soft. A short rest in the fridge can make shaping easier.

Allergens belong to the whole dish, not just the meat. Breadcrumbs may contain gluten, while egg and dairy additions also need checking.

Store mince according to the product instructions and cook it thoroughly. A burger is not a whole steak, so advice about serving a steak pink should not be applied to it.

Sources and further reading

• Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food