73/27 hamburger

[yakima]

Fred Meyer (Kroger) seems to be reliably carrying 3 lb chubs of this mix now.. Excellent in smash burgers.

[Huskee]

You're right, fatty burger makes wonderful smash burgers, the best! Gotta use the meat when it's COLD though, man that stuff can get sticky fast.

[jfmorris]

I’ve tried to avoid chubs for years now, as they seem to be the target of most contamination recalls. I used to get the big ones at Sam’s - I think that’s the only way to get 80/20 beef there anymore.

Been a long long time since I tried 73/27 but I may try some for smash burgers.

[TripleB]

+1 I never buy processed ground beef. Just for that recall issue. Or even freshly ground beef at a butcher shop. I was at a local butcher shop once (now gone), checking the meat display, and on the back counter was a grinder that still had the ground beef remnants on the grinder face. Barf.

[Steve B]

I need a Kroger near me.

[Oak Smoke]

We’re fortunate in that 2 of our local supermarkets still grind their own burger. 73/27 is normally right there in the cooler. For us local means within 30 miles.

[Draznnl]

“For us local means within 30 miles.”
Around here things are a tad different. We have a Publix 2.6 miles south and another 2.5 miles west. Just lost a battle to preserve some untouched land.25 miles north. A shopping center featuring a Publix will be going in there.

[Oak Smoke]

Draznnl Admittedly I live in a very rural setting. There are trade offs either way. I don’t have the access to goods and services you do and that is a pain some time. I did sight in a new hand gun in the back yard the other day without upsetting anyone. I call that a plus. On line shopping has eased the aggravation of things we need but aren’t available locally a great deal. We are making progress though I can now get 2 FM stations on the FM radio in my truck , 2 months ago there was only 1.

[cruiseplanner1]

Like you Oak we live in a rural setting and have shot deer and some critters in our back yard, beach. Watched seven deer come into the yard a couple nights ago to feed on the green grass which is not up in the woods yet. Couple pairs of geese doing the same. When I may have too much coffee and not feel like going into the house ...........lol

[Panhead John]

I bought hamburger meat in those big chubs a couple of times. Not a fan of that stuff. I’ll stick to the ground in-store kind.

[Ron P.]

Bought a big ole chub of burger decades ago when my buddy and I went fishing on the Puget Sound. Put it on the BBQ and it started burning... I think it is still burning today.

[yakima]

I typically buy in-store ground, or local butcher pre-made patties. Tried this due to the high fat, and liked it.

[drobinson]

I grind my own and then freeze in vacuum sealed one pound bags. That way I know exactly what I am getting. And I can experiment with different cuts to achieve different blends---best is equal parts clod, chuck, brisket and short rib.

[TripleB]

+1 I always grind my own beef. Never purchase at the supermarket or freshly ground at the local butcher. Don't trust them.

[RatBattler]

Wish there was a way to get a lightly hand chopped blend without butchering some meat and doing it yourself. I've seen on the Kenji cooking show the best burgers are the ones that aren't processed too much by grinding and instead loosely formed by hand so the meat stays tender and fall apart.

[JeffJ]

Ideally I like to grind my own. I’ll use the parts with more fat, will form loose patties 1/3 to 1/2 pound and will vac seal and freeze. The Pattie’s are probably in the range of 75/25. Then I ll either grind the rest and freeze in 1 pound increments or if the leftover hunk is big enough I’ll freeze the whole thing and will smoke it down the road.