"It's dinnertime, and you're almost done browning the ground beef when you notice the inevitable pool of liquid pooling at the bottom of the skillet. If you're like many home cooks, this is the moment you'd take your pan and drain out the rendered fat before returning it to the stove. But it turns out that getting rid of that liquid gold is one of the most common mistakes when cooking ground beef, and the reason comes down to flavor."
"The fat you see in your pan actually helps keep your meat juicy and gives it that rich, beefy taste. When you drain it out, you're essentially getting rid of all the tasty juices that came from the meat, which are also mixed with the flavorful seasonings you just added. If you're worried about the liquid adding too much moisture, know that it's just the fat and water that get released by the beef during the cooking process."
Rendered fat from ground beef helps keep meat juicy and provides rich, beefy flavor. Draining the fat removes tasty juices and seasonings, reducing flavor and moisture. Continued browning allows water to evaporate, concentrates flavors, and enables caramelization over high heat for enhanced umami. To reduce fat content, choose ground-beef blends with lower fat ratios, while matching lean-to-fat ratio to recipe needs such as 80/20 for burgers and meatballs. Pouring fat down the sink can clog plumbing because cooled fat solidifies; avoid disposing of grease this way.
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