Q about calorie counting/costco ground beef?

[rubidoux]

I have this ground beef from costco, just the regular stuff they pack in the store, but I don't have the package any more. I'm planning on using this as a guide (though it doesn't look very authoritative, imo), but I'm not sure how to weigh the beef. Do I weigh before or after cooking? And what about draining the grease, does that drain calories? And if so, how do I know I've drained it enough? This is making me nervous! lol

[Beeb]

Originally Posted by rubidoux

I have this ground beef from costco, just the regular stuff they pack in the store, but I don't have the package any more. I'm planning on using this as a guide (though it doesn't look very authoritative, imo), but I'm not sure how to weigh the beef. Do I weigh before or after cooking? And what about draining the grease, does that drain calories? And if so, how do I know I've drained it enough? This is making me nervous! lol

OK, deep breath, no stress! You can weigh it either way, cooked or uncooked. I weight my both ways; first uncooked, then after I cook it, and drain away as much of the grease as I can, I weigh it again. I usually take the cooked/drained weight and use that. It's not the fat or calories, per say, that we need to worry about in the cooked meat, but the fat that will add to the weight of the cooked meat and give us a higher calorie count, if you get my meaning here. And I also look at several calorie sites for the meat and use an average. I find they are basically the same, or at least within a few cals of each other. And FYI...4 ounces of raw ground beef with cook to about 3.5 ounces when drained, or so I've found in my cooking travels.

Now go eat a great ground beef meal!!!

[rubidoux]

Thank you! I did it!