# minced meat (other name in BE?)



## Roymalika

Hi,

Is there any other name for minced meat in BE?
Today, my wife cooked .....minced meat. She'd put a lot of ginger and green chilies in it. It was delicious. I ate it to my full.


----------



## heypresto

Minced beef.   
Minced lamb. 
Minced pork.


----------



## Roymalika

heypresto said:


> Minced beef.
> Minced lamb.
> Minced pork.


I was asking the other name that's used in BE.
I've heard _crushed meat _as a synonym for minced meat_._ Is it used in BE?


----------



## ewie

No. That sounds like someone's dropped a piano on it.


----------



## Roymalika

ewie said:


> No. That sounds like someone's dropped a piano on it.


So there's no other name other than _minced meat_?


----------



## ovaltine888

I learned_* ground meat*_ in AmE.


----------



## heypresto

I think 'ground' might exist in BE, but the usual word is simply 'minced'.

And, as I implied in post #2, we would usually specify the _type _of meat.


----------



## Roymalika

heypresto said:


> Minced beef.
> Minced lamb.
> Minced pork.


minced mutton
minced chicken

Are these also used?


----------



## heypresto

We don't eat much mutton here (which is a shame as it's delicious) so you won't hear 'minced mutton' used commonly. But if you bought some mutton, and minced it, it would be 'minced mutton'.

I don't think we would be able to buy minced chicken as a rule, but again, if you minced some chicken, it would be 'minced chicken.'


----------



## Roymalika

heypresto said:


> I don't think we would be able to buy minced chicken as a rule, but again, if you minced some chicken, it would be 'minced chicken.'


You mean you don't eat chicken much as you don't eat mutton much?


----------



## entangledbank

There is also beef mince as an alternative term for minced beef.


----------



## heypresto

No, we eat more than 900 million chickens every year in the UK, but we rarely, if ever, buy or use minced chicken.

I've never seen minced chicken for sale, or seen a recipe that uses it.


----------



## Rover_KE

Roymalika said:


> Is there any other name for minced meat in BE?


I ask my butcher for a pound of *mince*.

He assumes I want minced beef.


----------



## london calling

Minced chicken or turkey is commonly used in Italy to make burgers. 😊


----------



## Roymalika

entangledbank said:


> There is also beef mince as an alternative term for minced beef.


Can it be applied to other types of minced meat?
Like:
meat mince (as a general name)
mutton mince
chicken mince


----------



## heypresto

Rover_KE said:


> I ask my butcher for a pound of *mince*.


I would have done in the past, but nowadays I would specify the type of mince.


----------



## london calling

heypresto said:


> I would have done in the past, but nowadays I would specify the type of mince.


Ditto. If you don't specify they will probably ask you what you want these days . I suppose this harks back to the days when a) there wasn't much choice and b) people tended to be unimaginative and eat the same things all the time. 😊


----------



## You little ripper!

Ground beef - Wikipedia

*Ground beef*, *minced beef* or *beef mince* is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife or a meat grinder (American English) or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers and spaghetti Bolognese.


----------



## Uncle Jack

Roymalika said:


> Can it be applied to other types of minced meat?
> Like:
> meat mince (as a general name)
> mutton mince
> chicken mince


Never "meat mince". "Mince" on its own is minced meat (not to be confused with "mincemeat", which is something completely different). "Mince" is a common term on its own, usually referring to beef, but it might also be used where the meat is deliberately left unspecified.

"X mince" is fine, where X is the type of meat, but only beef, pork and lamb are commonly minced in Britain.


----------



## ovaltine888

I just found the single word _*mincemeat *_does not necessarily refer to meat but some kind of mixture of chopped fruits and spices for making pies.


----------



## london calling

ovaltine888 said:


> I just found the single word _*mincemeat *_does not necessarily refer to meat but some kind of mixture of chopped fruits and spices for making pies.


You're quite right. Originally however mince pies were made with meat.


----------



## Roymalika

Uncle Jack said:


> Mince" is a common term on its own, usually referring to beef, but it might also be used where the meat is deliberately left unspecified.


Can "mince" be used for the types of meat other than beef? I mean, can I refer to minced mutton and minced chicken as "mince"?


----------



## Edinburgher

Uncle Jack said:


> but only beef, pork and lamb are commonly minced in Britain.


Not entirely true.  Turkey mince is quite popular, as a lower-fat alternative to the three you mention.  I got some at Tesco's only yesterday.
They even mince venison, though I don't think I've seen venison mince as such on sale.  You tend only to get it processed into meatballs or Bambi-burgers, and because it would be too lean, it will have some pork mixed in with it.


london calling said:


> Originally however mince pies were made with meat.


What do you mean "originally"?  They still are.  In Scotland the term is ambiguous because it is also applied to one of the poisons you can get in chip shops, known elsewhere as Scotch pies.


Roymalika said:


> Can "mince" be used for the types of meat other than beef? I mean, can I refer to minced mutton and minced chicken as "mince"?


Only if the context makes it clear.  The default interpretation of "mince" is "beef mince".


----------



## ewie

Edinburgher said:


> Bambi-burgers


 (Have you made this name up or does someone actually call them that? and if the latter, does the Disney Corporation know?)


----------



## Keith Bradford

Roymalika said:


> Can "mince" be used for the types of meat other than beef? I mean, can I refer to minced mutton and minced chicken as "mince"?


Really, it depends on context (as always!).

If you are ordering from a butcher, see #13.
If you are writing a recipe, and the type of meat is unimportant, use _mince_. "For this dish you will need a pound of mince - beef or lamb is traditional..."
If you're describing a dish you might say just _mince_. How do I make moussaka? Well I start off by cooking the mince with chopped onion, and..." or likewise "I'll make us some chickenburgers if you like; there's a quarter of a pound of mince in the freezer."
You see, once the meat is actually there, you don't have to keep on naming it.


----------



## Roymalika

Keith Bradford said:


> If you are ordering from a butcher, see #13.


If the butcher has chicken only, and I order him a pound of mince, it will be understood I am asking for chicken mince. So no need to mention "chicken". Right?


----------



## Keith Bradford

No, you ask him for a pound of mince and he'll probably reply "I don't have any beef mince left.  Will chicken do?"


----------



## Uncle Jack

Roymalika said:


> If the butcher has chicken only, and I order him a pound of mince, it will be understood I am asking for chicken mince. So no need to mention "chicken". Right?


It is almost inconceivable that a butcher would not have minced beef for sale (many butchers sell at least two grades of minced beef). It is also unlikely that the butcher would have minced chicken for sale. Quite honestly, the situation is unlikely to arise. Furthermore, a butcher can always make mince, so if you ask for mince (meaning beef mince) and there is none, they will simply make some for you. 

If there happens to be, for example, only minced pork on display in the counter, then gesturing towards the minced pork and asking for "500 grams of mince" (without mentioning pork), will almost certainly elicit a question confirming that it is minced pork that you want, and not minced beef.


----------



## london calling

Edinburgher said:


> What do you mean "originally"?  They still are.  In Scotland the term is ambiguous because it is also applied to one of the poisons you can get in chip shops, known elsewhere as Scotch pies.


We have both made the mistake of assuming the UK is a united country. 🤣

Mince pies in my part of England are sweet. The ones made with meat are generally called minced meat pies or savoury mince pies.

I also have a recipe for 'meat mince pies' which purports to be the original Victorian recipe abd it's definitely different from the usual minced meat pie recipe. I haven't tried it it yet, though.


----------



## heypresto

london calling said:


> Mince pies in my part of England are sweet.


  And in mine. They are filled with 'mincemeat', and are traditionally eaten around Christmas.

But I believe that in the olden days, mincemeat literally did contain meat. Nowadays some mincemeat will contain beef fat (suet), and others a vegetarian equivalent.


----------



## london calling

Yep. The Victorian recipe I mentioned has beef suet and minced beef in it (plus all the usual sweet stuff).


----------



## GreenWhiteBlue

heypresto said:


> No, we eat more than 900 million chickens every year in the UK, but we rarely, if ever, buy or use minced chicken.
> 
> I've never seen minced chicken for sale, or seen a recipe that uses it.



While I realize that this thread is about British English, I would note in passing that in the US, ground chicken and ground turkey are both common items in supermarkets (which is where Americans get their meat; only a few of us urban types of a certain age have any concept of what a free-standing butcher shop was...), and there are lots of recipes for turkey burgers or ground chicken casseroles to be found on line.  Americans tend to use the term "ground" for most meats, including beef, chicken, turkey, and pork, although you will also hear ground beef referred to either as "hamburger" (even when uncooked) or as "chopped meat"/ "chopmeat".  On the other hand, while Americans might speak of minced garlic or minced onions, we don't use the word "minced" to refer to meat that has been put through a meat grinder.  Most people in the US would have no idea what "a pound of mince" would mean in relation to meat, and would probably assume the word used was "mints", and think of a pound of something like Polos or Altoids.


----------



## london calling

I just spoke to my mother. She can get minced turkey both from her butcher and local supermarkets these days. I think it's being pushed for health reasons, as someone mentioned above.


----------



## Roymalika

Keith Bradford said:


> Really, it depends on context (as always!).
> 
> If you are ordering from a butcher, see #13.
> If you are writing a recipe, and the type of meat is unimportant, use _mince_. "For this dish you will need a pound of mince - beef or lamb is traditional..."
> If you're describing a dish you might say just _mince_. How do I make moussaka? Well I start off by cooking the mince with chopped onion, and..." or likewise "I'll make us some chickenburgers if you like; there's a quarter of a pound of mince in the freezer."
> You see, once the meat is actually there, you don't have to keep on naming it.


Today, my friend asked me what we cooked in lunch.
I answered: mince.

It's not important to tell him what animal's mince I am talking about. So is it correct to say "mince" here?


----------



## Jimbob_Disco

Roymalika said:


> Today, my friend asked me what we cooked in lunch.
> I answered: mince.
> 
> It's not important to tell him what animal's mince I am talking about. So is it correct to say "mince" here?


Yes, I often hear it referred to just as 'mince'.  However, I think most Brits would assume you're talking about beef mince in this case - however, correct me if I'm wrong about that, as I'm vegetarian


----------



## JulianStuart

Jimbob_Disco said:


> Yes, I often hear it referred to just as 'mince'.  However, I think most Brits would assume you're talking about beef mince in this case ...


As a BE speaker, I would. If any other animal were involved, I would expect that specifically to be included in the answer.


----------



## london calling

Roymalika said:


> Today, my friend asked me what we cooked in lunch.
> I answered: mince.
> 
> It's not important to tell him what animal's mince I am talking about. So is it correct to say "mince" here?


If it's not important, fine. Sometimes you do need to specify, however.


----------



## Edinburgher

london calling said:


> Sometimes you do need to specify, however.


Yes.  It could be Quorn mince.


----------



## Packard

Here is an example of a meat grinder (USA).  The grinding operation does not include any chopping or mincing.  (Though it does not look "ground" either.)

It works on the principle of an auger progressing chunks of meat through a series of holes.  It is neither ground nor minced.  It most nearly resembles extrusion.


----------



## JulianStuart

Packard said:


> Here is an example of a meat grinder (USA).  The grinding operation does not include any chopping or mincing.  (Though it does not look "ground" either.)
> 
> It works on the principle of an auger progressing chunks of meat through a series of holes.  It is neither ground nor minced.  It most nearly resembles extrusion.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 45332


That is what I recall our local butchers using to make mince in the UK.  We even had one at home. I have always been happy making a 1:1 equivalence between AE ground beef and BE mince (-d beef).


----------



## heypresto

And here is an example of a BE mincer: 







 

We do electric ones as well, but you can't beat good ol' manual one.


----------



## bennymix

heypresto said:


> No, we eat more than 900 million chickens every year in the UK, but we rarely, if ever, buy or use minced chicken.
> 
> I've never seen minced chicken for sale, or seen a recipe that uses it.



There is lots of minced chicken for sale around here in Ontario.    It substitutes for minced beef in spaghetti sauce, lasagna, etc.   There are chicken sausages, too.    All these are for the 'no red meat' crowd.


----------



## Keith Bradford

@ Packard's #39.  That's interesting, Packard.  Perhaps it's because of the influence of that machine (which I recognise from my childhood), but for me that's precisely what mincing means.  For me the American _grinding _would mean pressing down with some heavy moving plate, resulting in a paste.


----------



## Myridon

Keith Bradford said:


> @ Packard's #39.  That's interesting, Packard.  Perhaps it's because of the influence of that machine (which I recognise from my childhood), but for me that's precisely what mincing means.  For me the American _grinding _would mean pressing down with some heavy moving plate, resulting in a paste.


In AmE, mincing involves cutting things into tiny bits with a blade.
How to Mince Ginger - Article - FineCooking


> Besides grating, mincing is the most common way to prep fresh ginger. The usual approach is to carefully stack thin slices of ginger and cut them lengthwise into matchsticks, then crosswise into mince.


----------



## Packard

"Ground" or the BE equivalent "minced" results in fairly large pieces of meat that are pressed together into a patty.  

However the beef used in frozen meatballs are made of much smaller particles, and are probably made from the small amounts of meat that are not usable elsewhere.  

Also, some chicken "nuggets" are similarly made from very finely chopped/minced, ground chicken.  In my mind those frozen meatballs and chicken nugget grindings need a different term. They most remind me of the particles that go into particle board (cheap alternative to plywood).  That is, the particles are larger than saw dust, but smaller than flakes.


----------



## owlman5

Keith Bradford said:


> For me the American _grinding _would mean pressing down with some heavy moving plate, resulting in a paste.


That assumption sounds reasonable. I have no idea who first coined the term _meat grinder, _but the machines obviously don't have much in common with millstones.


----------



## JulianStuart

Packard said:


> "Ground" or the BE equivalent "minced" results in fairly large pieces of meat that are pressed together into a patty.
> 
> However the beef used in frozen meatballs are made of much smaller particles, and are probably made from the small amounts of meat that are not usable elsewhere.
> 
> Also, some chicken "nuggets" are similarly made from very finely chopped/minced, ground chicken.  In my mind those frozen meatballs and chicken nugget grindings need a different term. They most remind me of the particles that go into particle board (cheap alternative to plywood).  That is, the particles are larger than saw dust, but smaller than flakes.


The coarseness/fineness of the mince/ground beef is (usually) varied by selecting the size of the holes in the (interchangeable) plate.


Myridon said:


> In AmE, mincing involves cutting things into tiny bits with a blade.
> How to Mince Ginger - Article - FineCooking


In BE too.  From Collins @WRF,





> *mince* /mɪns/  vb  (transitive) to chop, grind, or cut into very small pieces


The grinder/mincer has a funnel, auger, rotating knife (set of several blades) and plate with holes.  So the device does actually involve cutting the meat into small pieces -


> A *meat grinder* (also called a "meat mincer" in the UK) is a kitchen appliance for fine chopping ('mincing') and/or mixing of raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. ...The producer puts the minced food into a funnel, which is placed on the top of the grinder. From there the material goes on a horizontal screw conveyor. This screw conveyor, which can be powered by a hand wheel or an electric motor, squashes and partially mixes the food. At the end of the screw conveyor there is a knife installed directly in front of the fixed hole plate. At this opening the minced meat comes out of the machine. The fineness of the meat depends on the size of the holes of the plate.


This rotating knife has 4 blades.


----------



## bennymix

Packard said:


> "Ground" or the BE equivalent "minced" results in fairly large pieces of meat that are pressed together into a patty.
> 
> However the beef used in frozen meatballs are made of much smaller particles, and are probably made from the small amounts of meat that are not usable elsewhere.
> 
> Also, some chicken "nuggets" are similarly made from very finely chopped/minced, ground chicken.  In my mind those frozen meatballs and chicken nugget grindings need a different term. They most remind me of the particles that go into particle board (cheap alternative to plywood).  That is, the particles are larger than saw dust, but smaller than flakes.



I hear you Packard, and the particles are not necessarily 'meat', but the cartilage, ( and, for a chicken, beak, feet), etc.    MacDonalds became famous for using (as a component of ground beef)  a 'pink slime' that was extruded and could be formed.    As a special bonus, it's treated with ammonia, to kill any bugs.    MacDonalds now say it hasn't used it since 2011 (In other words, only used for 40 years!).    The US allows it as a component of 'ground beef.'

Question: Is pink slime still used? (2020)

*Is pink slime still used in hamburger?*
Now the US Department of Agriculture this week reclassified the product, saying it can officially be called “ground beef.” The muscle tissue is sterilized with ammonia (which is commonly used in food production and safe in small amounts) and the resulting product is called *“lean finely textured beef,”* or pink slime.


----------



## Packard

bennymix said:


> I hear you Packard, and the particles are not necessarily 'meat', but the cartilage, ( and, for a chicken, beak, feet), etc.    MacDonalds became famous for a pinkish paste that was extruded and could be formed.    As a special bonus, it's treated with ammonia, to kill any bugs.    MacDonalds now say it hasn't used it since 2011.    The US allows it as a component of 'ground beef.'
> 
> Question: Is pink slime still used? (2020)


It seems more like cat food than people food.  The tiny particles sometimes make me cough.  I make my own meatballs now.


----------



## bennymix

Depends if you love your cat, or not!


----------



## natkretep

It might also be useful to note


GreenWhiteBlue said:


> On the other hand, while Americans might speak of minced garlic or minced onions, we don't use the word "minced" to refer to meat that has been put through a meat grinder.


And a BrE speaker would never use _minced_ here: they will be chopped garlic or chopped onions. _Mince_ is always associated with meat for me unless you are talking about mince pies and mincemeat.


----------



## GreenWhiteBlue

natkretep said:


> And a BrE speaker would never use _minced_ here: they will be chopped garlic or chopped onions. _Mince_ is always associated with meat for me unless you are talking about mince pies and mincemeat.



In my local supermarket, I can buy jars of chopped garlic, and jars of minced garlic.  The difference in US usage is the size of the pieces: things that are _chopped_ are more coarsely cut, and are in larger pieces, than those that are _minced_.


----------



## Edinburgher

GreenWhiteBlue said:


> chopped garlic ... minced garlic


You're not one to mince your words.


----------



## Barque

Uncle Jack said:


> (not to be confused with "mincemeat", which is something completely different).


I though it could mean either that completely different thing or minced meat (the second definition in the WR dictionary is meat chopped fine). So is it generally only used for the pie filling?


----------



## Jimbob_Disco

Barque said:


> I though it could mean either that completely different thing or minced meat (the second definition in the WR dictionary is meat chopped fine). So is it generally only used for the pie filling?


To me, mincemeat is what goes in a mince pie at Christmas. Minced meat (or just mince, or turkey mince, or whatever type of mince) is the meat you’d use in a Bolognese or Shepherd’s Pie.


----------



## heypresto

And let's not forget minced oaths, for Pete's sake, cor blimey, dagnabbit.


----------



## Edinburgher

Jimbob_Disco said:


> To me, mincemeat is what goes in a mince pie at Christmas. Minced meat (or just mince) is the meat you’d use in a Bolognese or Shepherd’s Pie.


We've been there.  See #21 and #31.


----------



## Jimbob_Disco

Edinburgher said:


> We've been there.  See #21 and #31.


Forgive me for not having read all 54 previous posts


----------

