Here's Why You Should Really Be Ditching Store-Bought Ground Beef

Ground beef is one of the most affordable, versatile, and foundational proteins in many of our kitchens. But where and how that beef is ground is critical – and those looking for the best taste and texture should be ditching the store-bought ground beef for good.

Within beef is a protein called myosin, which helps compose the meat's fibers. When you grind and process meat, you release more myosin from the fibers as a result. Store-bought ground beef generally has more myosin than meat you grind yourself, due to it being more processed. So why should you care about how much myosin is in your next ground beef recipe? Well, the greater the percentage of myosin, the more likely it is for your meat to be hard to chew when cooked. 

Myosin gets tough and buckles when cooked, creating misshapen meals with less than ideal texture. Food expert Michael Chu told NPR that, scientifically, this is caused by a cross-linking and gelling effect of the proteins. He said, "In particular, myosin, which, when denatured, will cross-link with each other to form a gel, like a meat glue. Too much myosin cross-linking will result in noticeable shrinkage and a rubbery texture." Naturally, this tastes about as good as it sounds — not very!