Ground chuck MUST come from the chuck (shoulder) of the carcass just as ground round must come from the round (hind leg). Ground chuck = cheeseburgers; ground round = Hamburger Helper or spaghetti sauce. Ground chuck can be cooked to 160F and still be juicy, no way with ground round. read more
Out of the three different types of ground beef, the leanest choices are ground round and extra-lean ground beef, which is at least 90 percent lean. The amount of fat in 80 percent lean ground beef is too high to qualify as lean meat, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture standards. These differences in fat also impact calories. read more
Typical cuts of ground beef, according to Davey Griffin, an Extension Meat Specialist at the Texas Agriculture Extension Service, include chuck, sirloin and round. Federal law limits the maximum fat content for ground beef to 30 percent, or 70 percent lean. read more