Bulk Ground Beef: Save Time by Cooking Ahead!

Big batch of Ready Beef from our farm raised grass-fed beef. I bulk cook four pounds at a time, every time!

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"Cook once, eat twice!"

This is our family's longtime motto. "Or two or three times!" the kids will chime in. They've heard me say it more times than can be counted. Saving time in the kitchen is an ongoing goal, and bulk cooking is a huge way to save a ton; both on time and money! Especially with ground beef, as it's so versitle, and such a healthy protein, full of essentail nutrients, like iron and zinc.

Ready Beef, the time-saving answer you've been looking for!

"Ready Beef" is the catchy name I've given the glorious pack of meat in my freezer, that is pre-cooked and ready to roll. A quick start for any number of meals, like tacos, sloppy joes, spaghetti, minestrone, enchiladas, and so on. It's my number one go-to for a super quick scratch-made supper. For over a decade now, I’ve used this fancy “freezer to table in minutes" trick. I know you're gonna love it too!

A frozen pack of Ready Beef just pulled from the freezer for a quick supper

Buying in bulk (4 or 5lb packs) from the grocery store is a great way to save some bucks. And cooking it all at once is an awesome way to save tons of time. Though, if you're a big fan of grass-fed beef and buy a whole side at a time like we did for a dozen years (we're raising our own steers for meat now on our homestead) you've got lots of meat to cook up. This is a fabulous way to keep ground beef ready and close at hand. I always cook 4 lbs of ground beef at a time and am always happy I did! (I'd do more if I had a bigger pan. I'll keep an eye out for one when yard saling this summer.)

Frozen Minced Onion Cubes and lots of minced garlic simmering in olive oil

Let's make some Ready Beef, y'all!

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbl Cooking fat (olive oil, bacon grease or tallow)

1 cup minced onion, 4 Minced Onion Cubes  

2 Tbl minced garlic

4 lb raw ground beef (grass-fed will be the leanest)

2 tsp sea salt (we love Redmond Real)

1/2 tsp black pepper (more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place 2 Tbl oil (or other) into warmed large skillet. Add the Minced Onion Cubes and minced garlic to the oil. Let them simmer about 3 minutes til aromatic.

Then carefully place raw ground beef into skillet with onion and garlic, breaking down meat with wooden spatula, or flat ended utensil. Continue to brown the beef as usual. This takes about 15 minutes or so, but a small price to pay when you think about spending this ONE time here cooking, verses FOUR. That's a 45 minute savings! Think what else you could do with that time. Take a nice walk, read a book, call or visit a friend. Dreamy, right?

See how little grease? Our farm raised grass-fed beef never needs draining, as it’s so lean.

Ok, where were we? Oh yes, browning our ground beef one time. Note: If you're cooking grass-fed beef you'll be ready for the next step, as it is very lean. If not, you will need to drain your cooked beef before seasoning. Once it's fully cooked, finish with sea salt and pepper. Stir well. Taste and see how good it is. Mmm! Flavoring the meat with the savory tastes of healthy onion and garlic make it a super versatile and tasty starting point for so many meals. And the simple seasoning of good salt and pepper make it versatile for any meal "genre", whether it be American, Mexican, Italian, German and so on.

Fat Sloppy Joes made with Ready Beef and homemade sauce

After the Ready Beef cools to room temperature, package it up. I keep one portion in the pan for tonight's supper (maybe beef gravy over rice, or meaty spaghetti, stroghanoff, enchiladas, so many options!), then box another and put in the fridge for a meal later in the week. Last, package the others in quart bags (one meal portions) and label it, Ready Beef. Press them flat, both for optimize freezer space, as well as make for quicker thawing. Then pop them in the freezer. Boom! You're once a month (or so) beef prep is all done. Good job, Mama!

Ready Beef is my most reached for item in the freezer week after week, when we need a quick meal; thawed right in the skillet in about 5 minutes. Then the beef is ready (hence the name), for any beefy supper: minestrone, spaghetti, stroganoff, or most often for us on week nights (usually Tuesdays) it quickly becomes taco meat. I'm always so very glad I thought about my future self. I'm confident you will be too!

Adding our homemade taco seasoning to Ready Beef for a super quick taco supper!

We stir in a handful of homemade taco seasoning, then boom, we're rolling up the tortilla for supper. Just pull a package of Ready Beef from the freezer to thaw a day or so prior, or the morning of, or just plop it in the pan to thaw, on medium heat, with a drizzle of olive oil, bacon grease or tallow. No real rules here. It's so simple! You're gonna love yourself for thinking ahead!

Weeknight Tacos made with Ready Beef mixed with beefed up beans and brown rice. Topped with my homemade salsa. Yum-yum!

Ok, so there ya have it, y'all, my very best bulk cooking tip. I hope you love the Ready Beef, as well as all the time you'll save yourself, through the months and years, as I have.

Be blessed as you prepare these meaty meals (ahead of time) for your loved ones. May your feasts be filled with joy and gladness.

Warmly, Heidi :-)

"...the Lord of hosts will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world.

It will be a delicious banquet with well-aged wine and choice meats..."

Isaiah 25:6