McDonalds: You can make 7 quarter pounders from 1 lb of beef

[JEDI]

it's suppose to be a quarter pound of beef precooked weight. so you would think 4 quarter pounders could be made from 1lb of beef.

but the usda allows ice as part of the precooked weight. (ie: frozen patty)

so 7 quarter pounders can be made from 1 lb of beef.

Myth?

 

[zinfamous]

oh, I thought you were going to say something like 1lb beef + .75lb "filler" like horse and possum.

 

[OutHouse]

is that bulk?

 

[Matthiasa]

.75 pounds of ice per pound of meat seems kind of high.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Why would there be any ice beyond what is already contained in the beef? Are they adding water before freezing? I can't find anything to verify this - sounds like total BS to me.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

it's suppose to be a quarter pound of beef precooked weight. so you would think 4 quarter pounders could be made from 1lb of beef.

but the usda allows ice as part of the precooked weight. (ie: frozen patty)

so 7 quarter pounders can be made from 1 lb of ?UNFROZEN? beef.

Myth?

Once it thaws, it is no longer 1 pound, but it is still seperated into four parts to make a 1/4's - and therefore it is technically a 1/4pounder- but not really.
Is this what you are saying?

 

[waggy]

hmm when i worked there (granted its been damn near 20 years) we refered to them in the grill as 4 to 1 and regular hamburgers as 12 to 1.


also you guys do know even though its 1/4th pound BEFORE cooking it will not be 1/4th pound after right? so it is possible to have 7 of them (after cooking) to equal 1 lb

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Processing ground beef is automated. In some cases water, stock or, saline is added to ground meats to make pumping the product through the plant easier. 12 ounces of water per pound of meat does sound excessive but, I wouldn't be terribly surprised given the meat industry's previous track record.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Since you offer no link to any evidence, I'm going to guess this is from the same source that told you that Mr. Rogers was a USMC sniper with over 30 confirmed kills.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Even the meat you buy from the supermarket contains water. The less expensive the meat, the more water there is (generally, I am sure there are exceptions), but even a USDA Prime cut will have some amount of water weight.

It would not shock me to find out that the post-cooking weight of 1.25 pounds of very cheap ground beef was equal to the post-cooking weight of 1 pound of expensive ground beef, but I don't buy the idea that there are 12 ounces of water for every 16 ounces of beef, even in the cheapest USDA Commercial grade beef.

ZV

 

[Cogman]

They kind of have to allow Ice into the meat as 70% of most mammals is water.

The beef shrinks (just like it does on your stove) mostly because of a loss of fat, partially because of a loss of water.

 

[eldorado99]

Does it really matter? They're still cheap as hell...

 

[Zenmervolt]

The beef shrinks (just like it does on your stove) mostly because of a loss of fat, partially because of a loss of water.

I should have thought of that. McD's almost certainly uses what the USDA classifies as "Ground Beef". This contains 30% fat by weight and a lot of that will cook out.

What most of us buy in the supermarket is USDA classified as either ground chuck (15% to 20% fat by weight), ground round (10% to 15% fat by weight) or ground sirloin (8% to 10% fat by weight). This means that the typical beef you buy for your own burgers will shrink less than McD's does.

Still, I personally prefer to use ground chuck in most cases because it doesn't dry out as much during cooking and the end result is generally more flavorful and juicy.

ZV

 

[Sinsear]

is that bulk?

Only if it takes the shape of an alternator.

 

[KK]

Since you offer no link to any evidence, I'm going to guess this is from the same source that told you that Mr. Rogers was a USMC sniper with over 30 confirmed kills.

Mr. Simmons, I took it as he was asking a question. Why would he have a link to the answer if he's looking for an answer. That makes no sense to me, why don't you explain yourself?

 

[dartworth]

This thread is now about cake vs pie...

 

[eldorado99]

I think pie will win.

 

[dartworth]

I think pie will win.

i'm not sure...

 

[OoteR02]

hmm when i worked there (granted its been damn near 20 years) we refered to them in the grill as 4 to 1 and regular hamburgers as 12 to 1.

4/1 and 10/1 when i was there...

I bet it's more like 5/pound..

 

[caddlad]

i'm not sure...

Cake is always a plucky contender.

 

[BUTCH1]

I should have thought of that. McD's almost certainly uses what the USDA classifies as "Ground Beef". This contains 30% fat by weight and a lot of that will cook out.

What most of us buy in the supermarket is USDA classified as either ground chuck (15% to 20% fat by weight), ground round (10% to 15% fat by weight) or ground sirloin (8% to 10% fat by weight). This means that the typical beef you buy for your own burgers will shrink less than McD's does.

Still, I personally prefer to use ground chuck in most cases because it doesn't dry out as much during cooking and the end result is generally more flavorful and juicy.

ZV

%30 is the maximum fat that ground beef can contain, McD's almost certainly demands their supplier do better than that. If anyone remembers the "Mclean" which came in at just %10 fat and was healthier for sure, customers shunned it in droves and it had a short run because of it's dry texture. I also only use chuck for my burgers, just can't beat that taste!..

 

[h8red]

the real question is where you can buy bulk ice online...say in 10lbs chunks

 

[sdifox]

the real question is where you can buy bulk ice online...say in 10lbs chunks

10lb is not bulk.

 

[Tsavo]

10lb is not bulk.

It is if you eat it all at once.

 

[BassBomb]

mcdonalds sucks