Fatty Acid Composition and Caloric Value of Ground Beef Containing Low Levels of Fat

Ground beef patties containing five different levels of fat – 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%– were cooked by boiling, browning, pan‐frying, microwaving, roasting or broiling. Proximate composition, fat retention, energy content (kcal/100g), and fatty acid composition of raw and cooked patties were examined. Percentage fat retention decreased as fat content of the raw patty increased. Microwaving to “well done” and boiling resulted in ground beef with less fat than other methods of cooking at the higher fat levels. The proportion of fatty acids changed very little with increasing fat percentage and because of cooking method.