Why Anthony Bourdain Would Never Order Dishes With Ground Beef

Anthony Bourdain's had carnivorous proclivities. He championed "the poor man's filet mignon" (a cut called filet de romsteck) and loved French foie gras. It's perhaps fitting, then, that his enduring work "Kitchen Confidential" was stuffed with meaty (sorry) insider info about common restaurant practices. He advised against and later rescinded his admonishment about ordering fish on Mondays. But, no matter what day of the week it was, Bourdain cautioned against ordering swordfish. Another one of his meaty ordering tips was that a dish starring ground beef was a no-no. 

"Beef Parmentier? Shepherd's pie? Chili special? Sounds like leftovers to me," Bourdain wrote. If you're hungry for a taste of less-than-fresh meat, look for dishes like these. Restaurants (at least at the time) would use up older batches of ground beef by putting 'em in savory, saucy entrees that could easily mask any lacking quality.

Still, it's worth noting that the late great chef-slash-writer's magnum opus hit shelves in 2000. A few of the then-common industry practices mentioned within those scrumptious, scathing, sardonic pages might be less commonplace in modern restaurants nowadays. However, his insight and reasoning at the time certainly made a case for thinking twice about ordering ground beef dishes.

Restaurants aren't nefarious for protecting their bottom line by minimizing food waste. But, even if leftover ground beef is still safe to eat, it might not taste as good after a few days. Once cooked, it lasts for just three to four days in the fridge before its quality starts to significantly deteriorate or (worse) it spoils. In general, leaner ground beef also tends to spoil more quickly than ground beef with a higher fat percentage. Although, according to Anthony Bourdain's later advice, lower-quality meat doesn't necessarily mean it's less desirable. (However, if it's been in the fridge for a few days, maybe think twice about cooking with it, especially if you're a commercial business.)

As he shared in an episode of "No Reservations," Bourdain felt beef bourguignon favors lower-quality beef. "If you don't have a lot of money to spend on food, don't feel too confident about your skills in the kitchen: beef bourguignon," he explained (via Facebook). Per Bourdain, the dish "actually works best with the cheapest cuts of meat. ... Filet mignon, sirloin — more expensive, it's not always better. When you're stewing, in fact, the reverse is often true." Not unlike the restaurant entrees he advised against ordering, his beef bourguignon was zhuzhed up with a bold, flavorful Burgundy wine pan sauce to finish.