We’re pretty sure that if you Google “versatile,” you’ll find ground beef. That’s because out of all the meat products you can buy, few offer as many different kinds of bang for the buck. It’s nutritious, it’s affordable, and it’s perfect for so much more than burgers.

The Score

Bewildered by ground-beef labels? Let’s decipher:

Fresh
The beef has not been frozen, and ideally it’s been ground that day. Ask the butcher to confirm.

Frozen
It’s cheaper, but riskier: Inexpensive frozen ground-beef patties have been implicated in numerous E. coli outbreaks. Some manufacturers combine low-grade scraps and slaughterhouse trimmings from multiple suppliers, which increases the likelihood of contamination.

Natural
By USDA definition, almost all beef is “natural”: There are no added ingredients, and it’s minimally processed. The term isn’t always meaningless, though; some labels offer specifics like “no antibiotics/no hormones added.”

Organic
Certified organic beef comes from animals that were never given antibiotics or hormones, and everything they ate was also certified organic.

Grass-fed
Beef that is exclusively grass-fed contains a higher proportion of healthy lipids and antioxidants than conventional beef, and it’s more environmentally friendly. But because all cattle eat grass for the first six months of their lives, some less-trustworthy manufacturers use the term. The difference comes after that, when most cows are sent to feedlots and fattened on grain. Look for symbols saying “USDA Process Verified” or “American Grassfed Association” to be sure you’re getting the real thing.

Lean/extra-lean
Usually made from sirloin, lean ground beef contains less than 10% fat, and extra-lean has less than 5%. POINTS® value-wise, extra-lean is the way to go, though aficionados will notice it’s less juicy than fattier options.

In Play

When buying, choose an undamaged package that feels cold; the meat should have a cherry-red outer layer. Beef is dark purplish-red when first ground, and turns bright red after a brief exposure to oxygen. With prolonged exposure, though, it turns brown, which may mean it’s not as fresh as it should be. (Vacuum-packed meat, which isn’t exposed at all, should be purplish-red.) At home, refrigerate ground beef for two days max. If you’re not using it right away, transfer it to heavy-duty wrap or a zipper-lock freezer bag with as little air as possible, and freeze. It’ll stay safe to eat indefinitely in the freezer, but quality will decline after four months. Keep your meat cold while defrosting: Either put it in the fridge for a day or two or in a bowl of cold water on the counter for a few hours. Change the water every 30 minutes. Since extra-lean ground beef tends toward dryness, juice it back up by adding ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce to recipes. To keep hamburgers, meatballs and meat loaves from becoming too dense, mix gently. The more you mash, the heavier the end result will feel.

Recipes