牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく)

Composed of 牛(ぎゅう) (cow, beef) + 挽(ひ)き肉(にく) (ground meat, from the verb 挽(ひ)く "to grind, mince"). The 挽(ひ) kanji is very often written in hiragana, so both 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく) and 牛(ぎゅう)挽(ひ)き肉(にく) are acceptable; supermarket packaging usually uses the hiragana form.

Common collocations

• 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく)を炒(いた)める: to stir-fry ground beef
• 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく)を使(つか)う: to use ground beef (in a recipe)
• 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく)100グラム: 100 grams of ground beef
• 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく)と豚(ぶた)ひき肉(にく)の合(あ)いびき: a mix of ground beef and ground pork

Related food terms

• 豚(ぶた)ひき肉(にく): ground pork
• 鶏(とり)ひき肉(にく): ground chicken
• 合(あ)いびき肉(にく): a mixture of ground beef and pork (very common in Japanese home cooking)
• ハンバーグ: hamburg steak (Japanese-style patty)
• ミートボール: meatball
• ミートソース: meat sauce
• そぼろ: crumbly seasoned ground meat served over rice
• タコライス: taco rice (Okinawan dish using ground beef)

Cultural note

In Japan, the most common choice for home cooking is actually 合(あ)いびき肉(にく) — a beef-pork mix — which is considered ideal for hamburg steaks and meat sauce. Pure 牛(ぎゅう)ひき肉(にく) is more often chosen for Western-style dishes like tacos, chili, and shepherd's pie. Supermarket prices per 100 grams are typically higher for beef than for pork or chicken.