Preferred cuts of beef for grinding your own burger?

Last time I made home ground burgers, I used a mix of rib eye and top round (I believe). What are your recommendations for the best types of meats to grind in order to achieve the magical 80/20 ratio and delicious beefy flavor? My biggest concern is the fat ratio - I'm not entirely sure which cuts of beef have what percentage of fat.

meganvt01
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10 Comments

KatyM
KatyM July 5, 2012
If we're just talking burgers, not steak, I love Pat LaFrieda beef. It's fantastic...juicy, flavorful, 100% beefy beef. Many famous burger joints use it, like Shake Shack. The best part is your options...I believe one of them is a brisket burger? Yum! Google him, you can buy them online through Pat LaFrieda or FreshDirect.
 
pierino
pierino July 5, 2012
As admirable as it might be to use grass fed beef, for a burger there is just not enough fat content. So I like the addition of pork. Of course I like the addition of pork in almost anything. And an 80-20 yardstick is what you are after.
 
mainecook61
mainecook61 July 5, 2012
Chuck. We raise our own beef and that is what we use. The round can be used if you have an additional source of fat.
 
meganvt01
meganvt01 July 5, 2012
I went with chuck roast because it was the most marbled and beautiful. I froze the meat cubes for 15 minutes prior to grinding - a la bon appetit this month - fantastic! Juicy and beefy. Thanks all for your contributions.
 
Sam1148
Sam1148 July 5, 2012
I use chuck and grind in a food processor. Cutting into cubes first.
With three ginds or "dumps". First a fine grind with 1/3 of the cubes and the fat.
Then a medium grind, and finish with larger coarse gind and mix all those together.

(this also makes great Chili if you leave off the fat element and just lightly threaten the cubes on the last grind.)
 
beyondcelery
beyondcelery July 5, 2012
The restaurant where my husband used to work always added a little pork fat when they ground their burgers. I don't know their ratio, but it was basically all lean beef, sometimes with a little lamb, and then the pork fat for most of the fat content. Turned out amazing.
 
aargersi
aargersi July 5, 2012
We buy sirloins with a thick fat cap around the edge, don't trim it, and grind it up on a slightly coarser than the store setting. It works great! I like the idea of adding a little pork too.
 
Porknwhiskey
Porknwhiskey July 5, 2012
Last I used a combo of brisket, short-rib and Chuck. Brisket for the super beefy flavor, short-rib for the fat and chuck to balance it all out. I think It went 30/30/40. The various cuts also give you a bit of texture difference and provides the ability to have a looser burger instead of one Homogeneous dense patty.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune July 5, 2012
I like a chuck roast. They generally yield between 85/15 and 80/20.
 
Benny
Benny July 5, 2012
I use sirloin and/or Chuck. I might add some pork shoulder too if I have it lying around. I also have no idea which cuts of beef have what percentage of fat, but my burgers usually come out great.
 
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