Mince

mince the verb, needs no explanation. Mince, the noun, has two meanings in Britain: meat which has been put through a mincing machine, or a savoury dish prepared by cooking such mince with water and a little onion and seasoning.

In the USA, the process is usually referred to as grinding, and the product as ground meat; or it may be called ‘hamburger’, referring to the principal use of the result.

Any flesh can be minced, and this can be a convenient way of using the less tender or elegant cuts, and scraps left from cutting large joints. Naturally, the type of meat used depends on the favoured animal of the region; thus beef is especially favoured in Britain and N. America, and mixtures of beef and veal or pork in much of Europe. lamb is commonly used in the Muslim world.