If There Is No Label

It is possible to determine the leanness of ground beef with your eyes. Although doing so will not give you the exact percentage of fat to lean, it is a good tip to know in the absence of one. Beef with a higher lean content will be redder than beef with a high fat content. The more white you see in ground beef, the more fat it contains.

Hamburger Vs. Ground Beef

The USDA does require that ground beef be labeled either hamburger or ground beef though. Hamburger is defined as ground beef that has beef fat added to it. The only fat in ground beef is that which was already present in the cut of beef before it was ground. Therefore, ground beef labeled as ground beef and not hamburger is certain to be the leaner of the two.

Ground Chuck

Ground chuck is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. It has the highest fat content because it comes from the neck and shoulder region where most of the fat on a cow is located. Ground chuck makes the best burgers because the fat acts to keep it moist, allowing the patty to hold together.

Ground Round

Ground Round is 85 percent lean and 15 percent fat. The round cut comes from the hip and thigh part of the cow and is the most common source of ground meat because it is tough and not very flavorful. These muscles are often used by the cow making for a leaner cut of meat than other parts.

Ground Sirloin

Ground sirloin is 90 percent to 95 percent lean and 10 percent to 5 percent fat. This is the leanest type of ground beef available. It comes from deep inside the cow and is nearly all muscle.