WHY-Wednesday: Why I prepare all my meat in advance.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I am terrified of working with raw meat.

So what happens when I get back from Costco with this?

More than 6 lbs of 88%-12% great-quality ground beef, all for $3/lb.

First off, I wrap it up in a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge until I am ready to work with it, 

hopefully within the next 24 hours.

The kids are down for their naps, so I take it out and do two things:

1.  I put 4 lbs worth of the beef in a pan to cook (each patty is about half a pound)--

2.  And the other 2 lbs in separate ziplock bags to make meatloaf--

This is the first and last time I ever have to touch the raw meat!

While the meat is slowly cooking in the pan, I begin to work on the meatloaf--

***

(Lauren-modified meatloaf recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

 Meatloaf

(Four servings)

- 1 egg, beaten 

- 1/4 c. old-fashioned oatmeal

- 1 tbsp. onion powder

- 1.5 tbsp. ketchup

- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

- 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 lb of ground beef

Mix well.

You can shape the mixture into a loaf and place in a 350F oven for about 1 hour.  Another option would be to put it in a slowcooker and let it cook on high for about 3 hour-ishs.

Or you can just do what I do and make hamburger-shaped patties and cook on the stove like you would a regular hamburger.

Top with ketchup.

***

On a side note, I don't buy fresh garlic anymore.  I just use a giant garlic tub that I have stored in my fridge.  For a little less than $5 (at Costco!), you can get this and never have to mince garlic ever again.  Its only ingredients are garlic, water and citric acid, and will last you forever.

In the two separate ziplock bags, I throw in all of the ingredients.

(I do not use measuring spoons or anything for the spices.  Just roughly eye-ball.  We are not baking here.  There is a lot of grace when it comes to cooking, as long as you season well with salt).

Seal the bag shut and mix all of the ingredients until well-combined.

Now it is ready and you can stick it in the freezer for later, or use for dinner that day.

So now the rest of the meat should be completely cooked by now--

4 lbs of cooked ground beef.

Place half of the cooked beef in a separate bowl and let cool.

The remaining beef that was left in the pan is seasoned with taco seasoning.  Let it cook through until all the flavor is absorbed. 

Then take four sandwich-size ziplock bags and place the cooked meat in them.  

You'll have two 1 lb bags of plain ground beef, and two 1 lb bags of taco seasoned cooked beef (there is only one in the picture since the other 1 lb was being used for dinner that night).

Depending on the number of times you check Facebook and change your Pandora station, this entire process should take you about an hour to complete.

A half a pound of ground beef will feed my family dinner for one night.

Therefore, I just gifted myself with 12 days of simpler dinner-prep by doing all this leg work in advance.