Lean minced beef

Heat a little oil in a hot pan, add the mince in a single layer and leave it to brown before breaking it up. Cook in batches rather than crowding the pan, then add it to a sauce or vegetables so it stays moist.

For a sauce or chilli, brown it for about 5–8 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Then simmer it in the dish; make sure the mince is steaming hot throughout, with no pink pieces.

No. Unlike a whole steak, minced beef can carry bacteria throughout the meat, so cook it thoroughly rather than serving it rare.

Keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1–2 days of buying or defrosting. Freeze it if you will not cook it in that time.

Yes. Freeze it in meal-sized portions in airtight wrapping, flattening each portion so it freezes and thaws quickly. Defrost it in the fridge and cook it promptly; do not refreeze it raw after thawing.

Use it for cottage pie, chilli con carne, bolognese, meatballs or tacos. Because it has less fat, brown it with a little oil and add it to a sauce rather than relying on fat from the meat.