Beef Mince - 1kg

The Beef: This mince is made from Rachel's Farm beef, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, raised regeneratively on pasture managed for soil health first. The cattle graze on diverse, living pasture their whole lives, moving often so the land gets time to rest and recover. That slow, natural growth gives the beef a deeper, more mineral flavour that carries through whatever you cook. It's beef with real character, grown in a way that leaves the land better than it found it.

The Mince: This is 90/10 chuck mince: 90% lean, 10% fat, ground from the chuck. Chuck comes from the shoulder, a hard-working muscle with more flavour than almost any other cut, which is why chefs and burger joints swear by it. The 90/10 ratio hits the sweet spot, lean enough for everyday cooking and meal prep, with just enough fat to keep it juicy and carry that rich, beefy flavour. It's the hardest-working thing in the fridge: versatile, affordable and endlessly useful.

How to Cook It: Take the mince out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Get a wide pan properly hot with a splash of oil. Because it's lean, it won't release much fat, so that little bit of oil helps it brown well.

Add the mince and spread it out, then leave it alone for 2–3 minutes. Letting it sit is what gives you deep brown colour and flavour, rather than grey, steamed meat. Break it up and keep cooking until browned all over. If you're cooking a big batch, do it in two lots so the pan doesn't crowd. There's no need to drain it; what little fat renders out is pure flavour.

Once browned, build from there: onions, garlic, tomato and a long simmer for a ragù; spices and beans for a chilli; stock and veg for a cottage pie.

For burgers and meatballs, handle the mince as little as possible and season just before cooking. Chuck gives you a juicy burger even at 90/10, but don't press them on the grill. Cook burgers to 71°C in the centre.

Tips

• Mince is the meal prep hero. At 90/10 it's high in protein and lean, so a big batch of bolognese, chilli or taco mince portioned for the week is an easy win. It keeps 3–4 days in the fridge and freezes brilliantly.
• A spoonful of tomato paste fried with the browned mince adds serious depth.
• For extra-juicy burgers, add a little grated onion or a knob of butter to the centre of each patty.
• Freeze it flat in zip-lock bags. It thaws quickly and stacks neatly.

A Little History: Wherever there's been beef, there's been a way to use every last bit of it, and mince has always been the answer. It's the base of the Bolognese ragù, the British cottage pie, the American hamburger and the Aussie rissole and meat pie. Chuck has long been the butcher's pick for grinding, prized for its balance of flavour and fat. It's the food of family dinners and feeding a crowd on a budget, and proof that the humblest cut can be one of the most loved.