If you want less fat in your meal, start by choosing leaner ground beef. After cooking, you can carefully drain the rendered fat instead of rinsing the meat. Some cooks rinse cooked beef to remove even more grease, but doing so can also wash away flavor, seasoning, and moisture. More importantly, grease should never be poured down the kitchen sink. Once it cools, it can solidify inside the plumbing and contribute to stubborn blockages. Let the fat cool and dispose of it appropriately instead.

Food safety also depends on what happens before and after cooking. Keep raw ground beef refrigerated until you are ready to use it, and wash your hands thoroughly after touching it. Cutting boards, knives, counters, and other utensils that contact raw meat should be cleaned properly. Raw beef should also be kept away from foods that will be eaten without cooking, because bacteria can spread through cross-contamination.

Leftovers deserve the same attention. Refrigerate cooked beef promptly and store it safely rather than leaving it sitting at room temperature for extended periods. When reheating leftovers, make sure they are heated thoroughly. These simple habits are much more important than trying to make raw beef “cleaner” with water.

Ultimately, the safest rule is straightforward: do not rinse raw ground beef. Water cannot replace proper cooking, and rinsing can spread bacteria around the kitchen. Cook ground beef to 160°F (71.1°C) using a thermometer, drain excess fat safely if necessary, and keep raw meat away from other foods. Family traditions may influence how people prepare their meals, but when it comes to raw ground beef, good food-safety practices are worth following every time.