Mince.

Sounds nice, but an hour in the oven will use more electricity.

Calendargirl

Sounds nice, but an hour in the oven will use more electricity.

Unless you use the oven for something else at the same time.

I can't see why it should taste so different but I might try it one day just to see.

I saw that. Too much electricity used for my liking. It was the presenters of the show who said it was delicious. They say that about everything that is cooked for them! I'm sure it was tasty though.

He used to say 10 - 15 minutes, spread out on a baking tray at 180C fan.
I've never tried it but doesn't it dry up? I usually fry it first in a very small amount of oil (just enough to stop it sticking). Fry the onions, remove to a plate, then fry the mince. Then add the onions and other ingredients and stock, cook for required time.

It does dry but he rehydrates it in the sauce.

I'll stick to Delia. Tom seems to pu a lot of unnecessary steps in.

I think he started to do this when he was trying to loose weight. The point was to reduce his fat intake and this method reduced the fat content, I have not tried it, my method a quick fry in an almost dry pan in very small batches to stop th mince just boiling.

Nadiya Hussain was making bolognese with mince on TV the other day.

She made the sauce first and then put the raw mince in and then cooked it. She said it stopped the mince drying out, which is does when you fry it until it browns.

I haven't tried this but it makes sense

I always cook it in my slow cooker and add dumplings for the last 40 minutes. They never look or tste the way my mum used to make them though.

^ The point was to reduce his fat intake and this method reduced the fat content^

Oh I see. I don't want to reduce my fat intake so I won't bother. I thought there was something magical going on with the taste. Duh 🙄

A fry the mince in a pan with the veg then it goes in the slow cooker for hours with rest of the ingredients.

Gin

I think he started to do this when he was trying to loose weight. The point was to reduce his fat intake and this method reduced the fat content, I have not tried it, my method a quick fry in an almost dry pan in very small batches to stop th mince just boiling.

Yes, you need hardly any oil as there is fat in the mince, even in the 5%, which melts.

I added a chile and it tasted good. Made enough for 3 meals from a quarter of mince.

I always buy the 5% fat mince and it’s lovely. I dry fry in a non stick pan.

Oh gosh, I just chuck it in a saucepan with the fried onions then add stock and reduce. Not cordon bleu but nobody complains!

Me too gentleshores!

My understanding of meat cookery is that meat has very little flavour until it is browned over high heat. That is why you brown the meat before casseroling, nothing to do with "sealing the flavour in", it's to create the flavour through the Maillard reactions on the meat surface. I use a very high heat and get beef and lamb very brown before adding liquid.

With mince it's all surface and I cook it with a little olive oil over high heat until it looks, frankly, much too brown (takes 15 to 20 minutes) - but of course, onceit is cooked into the sauce, everything blends together, and the meat plumps up. Delicious

I always do that, it does intensify the flavour. I was interested in Tom Kerridge's recipe which topped the mince with macaroni cheese and crushed Weetabix. I would never have thought of doing so but it looked appealing!

I’d love to do that, but the amount of electricity required….
Would an air fryer do the job?

gtandMattie I use Tom's method of cooking mince as it does intensify the flavour, his chilli recipe is delicious. I do cook it in the air fryer in one of those silicone bowls.

For years , I lived on a diet of mince meat-cooked in as many ways as I could .
My mother used to make the most unappetising mince dishes as well .
I recall the horrible smell of it cooking !
She didn't fry it .
She boiled it .
Therefore ,
I'm not a fan .
I do eat it very occasionally .

I am guilty of saying if friends ask me what I'd like them to make if invited -
Anything , but mince
!
But if they surprise me with shepherd's pie or spaghetti bolognese - of course I say nothing .

I dry fry my mince so that it is browned, probably the same outcome as oven cooking it.

Talking of mince. Why does mince now come in long strings you have to break up or chop up before browning. It never used to be like this and was called ground mince and much easier to cook with. No matter how you break up stringy mince it’s still lumpy when cooked. Or is it me.

I have just made a large cottage pie for tea using 5% mince. It looks delicious, I always put peas, carrots and a little celery in and some gravy with a good splash of Worcester Sauce.

I always think there will not be enough mash on top to cover the mince mix but I just did it with none over today. Must be 47 years of cooking!