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Fat is a very important component in our diet. It's
the most efficient source of energy in our bodies, and
plays an important role in the flavor of foods. Here's
an experiment you can try to see just how much fat is
in ground beef.
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CAUTION
You will be working with heat and hot liquids. Children
should do this activity with an adult.
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What
Do I Need?
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1 pound ground beef (fat content usually runs about 7% to 22%,
get the highest available)
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a nonstick skillet
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a wooden spoon
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a slotted spoon
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a thick plastic cup (one that's heat-resistant)
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a kitchen scale
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hot
pads
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a fine mesh strainer with handle (optional)
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paper towels
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a heat source (hot plate or stove)
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What
Do I Do?
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1.
Divide
the meat into two equal portions and place one of the portions
on the scale. Record the weight.
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Share
& Discuss
Did the fat you extracted weigh what you thought it would?
Take some pictures of your results, and
send
us a photo!
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2.
Weigh
the plastic cup. Record the weight.
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3.
Turn
the heat up to medium high, then break up the meat and place
it in the skillet.
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4.
Break
up the meat further as you stir it. When bubbles of liquid start
to form around the meat, take it off the heat.
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5.
Use
the mesh strainer or the wooden spoon to hold the meat in
place as you pour off the liquid. Look for shiny bubbles suspended
in the liquid. This is fat.
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6.
Put
the skillet back on the heat and continue to cook the meat until
it is well done (no pink showing and the meat has turned grayish-brown).
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7.
Drain
the rest of the liquid into the plastic cup. Record the weight.
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8.
Take several paper towels and stack them on each other. Weigh
the paper towels (they probably won't register or will register
very slightly). Spoon the cooked meat out of the skillet onto
the paper towels with the slotted spoon.
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9.
Weigh the cooked meat. Compare the weight of the raw meat
with that of the cooked meat. What is the difference in weight
between the two?
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10.
Try the experiment again with the other half of the ground chuck
and see if you get similar results.
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What's
Going On?
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You
will probably find that the cooked meat weighs quite a bit less
than the raw meat. When meat is cooked, the
proteins
denature
, squeezing out liquid. This liquid is mostly made
up of water and fat.
This
experiment doesn't get all of the fat out of the meat. Some
of it stays inside the meat, some sticks to the surface, and
some turns into smoke.
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What
Else Can I Try?
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Try this experiment with other meats with high fat contents,
such as bacon or sausage, and see how the results compare.
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