Mince

[Jaimsieboy]

I haven't eaten mince for about 30 years now and I have taken notion to cook it again.
Could anybody tell me me a quick and plain method preparing and cooking mince on a gas oven... with cooking times please.

Thanks...
Jaimsieboy

[237SJ]

Do you mean cooking it in an oven from scratch or via the hob (to start it off)?

[VHG]

You know the internet is probably the largest collection of information ever gathered together.

It has information on almost anything, including cooking mince.

A quick search on "cooking mince" will find loads of sites.

Here is one I found in about 5 seconds.

http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/article/12-ways-to-cook-mince-a883.html

[Buenchico]

A good starting point:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/braisedmince_91963

but mince can be used for meatballs, chilli con carne, lasagne, spag bol, beef and potato patties, and loads more. Tell us what you like and we'll find the recipes!

[Jaimsieboy]

Hi 237SJ,
I intend to cook it from scratch on a gas oven hob... J/Boy

[echokilo]

Depends what type of mince and what you want to use it in/as. Pork mince is lovely cooked in a tagine with grated carrot, water chestnuts, chinese five spice, soy and a splash of water - serve s Yuk Sung either in lettuce leaves or with noodles or rice. Beef mince with peas, carrots and a rich gravy can make a delicious cottage pie is you top with mash and shove in the oven. Same (ish) with lamb mince for Shepherds Pie. And just about any mince for the meat sauce layer of a lasagne. You say ON a gas oven - so wasn't sure if you meant IN the oven or ON the hob - so all put the Yuk Sung include both!

[echokilo]

Sorry, just seen you said HOB .... but the cottage or shepherds pie only really needs browning off under a grill as the mash will already be cooked.

[EcclesCake]

Without knowing how you've eaten it in the past and how you fancy taking it now it is kind of difficult to offer an answer.

I see mince as part of a recipe, e.g. meat balls, chilli con carne, burgers etc.

If you are wanting just plain mince with some 'gravy' I suggest you fry an onion in a little oil, when becoming translucent add a crushed clove of garlic (optional), add the mince and break up and get some colour on the meat.

Once the meat is coloured and broken up and some beef stock (assuming you are using beef mince) and some dried mixed herbs. Leave to simmer for 30 mins or so, taste adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or a dash or worcester sauce....or whatever takes your fancy.

[carolegif]

Tonight we had 'mince in the oven'. Onions, carrots, mushrooms, mince, beef stock, water - put in a casserole and cook on 150 for two hours. Thicken if necessary, add boiled potatoes. Delicious.

[ladyalex]

I really like meatloaf made with mince.
Mix 450gms minced beef with a tin of EzyOnions (most supermarkets sell them) about a handful of crushed non-sweetened cereal like shredded wheat, a tsp of salt and a good dollop of worcester sauce. After you've mixed it all well, mix in a beaten egg to bind it all together.
Form it into a sausage shape and plop it down onto a baking tray (cover the baking tray in foil first to help with the washing up later). Cover the meat with streaky bacon slices (back bacon is good too, just use what you have) and cook in the oven at gas mark 5-6 for an three quarters of an hour to an hour.
You can bake some potatoes in the oven the same time.
We like it.

[maggiebee]

My method is very straight forward.
Brown mince. Add chopped onion, one oxo cube and some water. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20mins. If I think it is a little thin I might add some Bisto.

This is fine as it is with mashed tatties and neeps but I also use it as the base for other meals eg chilli, bolognese etc.

[Eve]

Why not go for a nice easy spaghetti bolognese? Brown the mince with some mushrooms and onions in a pan. You could also crumble a stock cube in or add something like some worcestershire sauce for taste.

While doing this have a pan of water on the boil (I tend to kettle boil then keep it there on the stove) and put in some fresh spaghetti when the mince is almost done with a little cooking oil and salt to taste if you want it.

Either put a shop bought sauce over the mince (Ragu on a good offer in Tesco at the moment) or make your own.

Once the spaghetti is ready, drain and let it steam a little then serve with the mince in sauce.

[237SJ]

Do you mean something like Cottage Pie then? Stick a bit of oil in a saucepan (you don`t need much because the beef has it`s own fat) and brown it. You could add some chopped shallots at this time. Boil up some water and put it in a pyrex jug with stock cubes (I use beef oxo and Bisto powder and a bit of Marmite but the Marmite is just my preference) While it`s simmering away you could add some dried thyme or a carton/tin of chopped tomatoes. Meanwhile, boil up some potatos and mash them. Take the mince out of the pan and put it in a dish and spread the mash over the top and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. If you don`t use the chopped tomatoes in the mince, you can put sliced tomatoes on the top of the mash. Shove it in the oven until browned.

[ladyalex]

Sorry, thought you meant in the oven, not on the hob.

[marje]

This probably makes no difference to how mince cooks, but I'm sure mince was in tiny little pieces years ago but now it seems to come in long lengths which you have to break up. Anyone else remember this or is it my imagination?

[EcclesCake]

Marje, long strands is how it comes out of the mincer be it a small domestic one or a large industrial version.

[marje]

Yes I realise that Eccles, but I was sure the bits were smaller 'back in the day', as the Americans are so fond of saying. Maybe it's my imagination!