Food Tips & Info > Cooking TipsDecember 29, 2009

Drain Browned Ground Beef in a Colander

When using ground beef cooked for a soup, spaghetti or tacos etc., drain hamburger through a colander before adding to your soup recipe. This takes away the extra fat and tastes great, even in chili.

By 123helen from Senoia, GA

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By
01/12/2011

I drain mine. Tried rinsing it but had no flavor so why even bother. I have to eat bland so I can't handle the spices to bring back some sort of flavor so now I drain it then pat it dry with one or two paper towels. It gets most of the fat and is tolerable.

When I was still drinking sodas I used to keep a steel funnel by the sink. I drained the grease with a colander, allowed it to cool for an hour then funneled it into old 2 liter bottles. I kept them in the fridge until full then tossed them in the trash.

By
01/12/2011

I stand the colander in a bowl and the cooked ground beef drains into the bowl. Once the grease firms up, I use a rubber spatula to scoop it out of the bowl and into the trash. A paper towel removes any grease residue before the bowl gets washed. By using a bowl, I no longer have to keep a can of grease in the kitchen waiting to get filled up! I for one would never rinse grease into the drain! Even a hot water rinse can't prevent the problems a coating of grease in your pipes will eventually cause!

By
01/10/2011

When I feel lazy & don't want to wash the colander I use clean newspaper & just throw it away.I don't have to worry about clogging up the drain.

By
01/10/2011

Not only do I drain it, I also rinse it with hot water. I've done this for years. It's great.

By
01/10/2011

I drain and rinse mine, also. I am a home canner and when I do this before canning it there is very little fat in the jars, a lot healthier. I use empty coffee cans, etc to drain the fat into.

By
01/10/2011

I have done this for ground beef and sausage for 25+ years, but I keep all my metal cans to strain it into. Rinsing is unnecessary if meat is good and hot when strained and left to drain long enough. While it is draining, I saute onions or other veggies.

By
01/10/2011

I drain my ground beef in a colander over a disposable bowl to go in the trash. But after it drains a bit in the colander, then I spread it out onto several layers of paper towels. It's amazing how much more grease comes off even after the colander. I had tried rinsing it, but along with removing the grease, it also removes a lot of the flavor. So I don't do that anymore. Also, rinsing it only puts the grease down the drain to harden. So rinsing is not a good idea at all.

By
01/10/2011

I keep a small empty can (soup,beans) near the stove and drain all the grease into it. When it gets half or full I just toss it into a garbage bag and dispose with the rest of the trash. This has worked well for many years for me. My daughters I notice do the same at their homes.

By
01/10/2011

Although this is a great idea for reducing fat intake, please - please do not send the grease down the drain. Especially solid grease. Even if it doesn't harden in your house drain, it will somewhere down the line, even as soon as your house clean-out. It only takes one time, and then wherever it hardens in the line, it will become the stopping point for all other grease, oils, and sediments.

Instead, I put down a few layers of paper towels, spread out the cooked, hot beef, then put a few more layers on top. Place a cutting board of any sort on top and apply pressure for a few minutes with something relatively heavy, maybe while prepping other ingredients. This will absorb the grease and it can be thrown away.

By
01/10/2011

I also drain then rinse my ground meat. I only buy ground sirlon as opposed to ground beef but it still contains more grease than I prefer and draining and rinsing works well every time.

By
01/10/2011

I actually drain then rinse my browned hamburger in hot water. Removes lots of fat and doesn't affect the tast. I drain it in the sink with hot water running to be sure not to clog the drain.

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(Archived Dec 29, 2009)Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

Tip: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

To keep ground beef recipes from being so high in fat, I brown the ground beef, then rinse the beef in a strainer using the hottest water I can. This allows the fat on the ground beef to run down the drain!

My family cannot taste the difference!

By Gina from Kentucky

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RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef To Remove Excess Fat

Great idea! I'm going to try it! (02/02/2009)

By dawnrager

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

Great idea to remove as much fat as possible but here's how to dispose of grease properly and the reasons why:

This is a PDF file so if it's too small or too large to read when opened you can zoom in or zoom out ...

http://www.dwrcymru.com/English/library/publications/Stop%20and%20think%20not%20down%20the%20sink/english.pdf (02/02/2009)

By Deeli

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

I've been doing this forever and it works :) (02/02/2009)

By seeme

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

I would not pour grease down the drain as it can harden and then clog the pipes. I spoon out the grease out of the pan and then put it in a jar and it hardens and then I throw it in the trash that way. (02/02/2009)

By Robyn Fed

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

I do the same thing. I add a little water and freeze the cooked ground beef in a bag with no air. I do it in big batches. It is great to pull out a pound of precoked beef to start a meal. (02/02/2009)

By scott E.

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

Never put any type of grease or grease residue in your drain. As you know, it doesn't take much for that grease to solidify. It will coat the inside of your drain pipes and maybe even clog them up. Also, its not good for your septic tank or sewer connection. It's just not a good idea.

My family drains off grease and puts it into the garbage can. Thanks for sharing your good idea. (02/03/2009)

By Carol in PA

RE: Rinse Browned Ground Beef to Remove Excess Fat

I have been doing this for years. Funny thing, I keep having drain 'issues' and clogs. The guy that works on it for me found out I was using hot water to make it go down the drain and he told me that really does not help it go down the drain at all. Long story short. It's not fun when it catches up with you and actually backs the grease up in your bath tub. Anyway, strain the grease... great idea! Just DO NOT RUN IT DOWN THE DRAIN. trust me! =o) (02/04/2009)

By Jenny

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