You Can Do More With Your Meat Grinder Than You Think! (You should give it a shot!)
The term “meat grinder” indicates that the machine was created expressly to grind meat, which is somewhat correct. However, it isn’t limited to that, as it is with many other things. A meat grinder can be used in various ways with a little imagination.
I only used my meat grinder to grind meat when I first bought it; because I’m a kitchen appliance nerd, I started looking for new ways to use it right away.
The meat grinder, it turns out, can be used for a lot more than you might imagine. I got better at playing with the many choices and fine-tuning them to suit my preferences as I used the grinder more. Right now, I’m thinking of considering it my very favourite kitchen utensil. Knowing how I am, that could change tomorrow. This is what I’ve come up with so far.
What Can You Do With a Meat Grinder?
In meat grinders, raw or cooked meat, fish, and vegetables are finely chopped (or minced). Meat grinders come in two varieties: electric and hand-cranked.
While working with a hand-cranked meat grinder takes a little more effort, I still think it’s fantastic equipment. However, I would choose an electric meat grinder because it can easily grind several pounds of meat with very little work on my part.
On the other hand, industrial meat grinders may grind many tonnes of flesh in a single hour. When you think about it, that’s kind of crazy.
In either case, the minced meat is placed in a cup on top of the meat grinder, which then channels it to a screw conveyor. Before reaching a blade at the screw conveyor’s end, the meat is squashed and mixed by the screw conveyor. After passing past the blade, the meat will exit the lower end of the meat grinder through a fixed hole plate.
These fixed hole plates are replaceable and come in a variety of sizes. Perforation sizes can be adjusted to generate larger or smaller strips of the substance being ground.
Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s look at what the appliance and its attachments can achieve.
Meat Grinder
The meat grinder’s first and most obvious function is, of course, to grind meat. You may use your meat grinder to grind any type of meat and get excellent results. By altering the blade size, the coarseness of the meat coming out of the grinder can be regulated. This is a location where you can let your hair down and have a good time. Everything you’d normally buy in a store can now be made at home.
Experiment with different meats and different combinations. If you believe you’ve accomplished everything, think again. I propose learning about the various parts of the cow and then deciding which sections you enjoy the most. After that, simply prepare your favorite recipes with the meat.
Meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, sausages, and many other dishes are available. It’s all there.
Stuffing Sausages
Yes!! Sausages can also be stuffed with the meat grinder. Consider all of your favorite cuts of meat and imagine them in a sausage. Here, too, the possibilities are limitless. Before grilling the sausages, you can mix and match different types of meat and seasonings. They’re considerably juicier than the store-bought ones, in my experience.
If your meat grinder does not come with one, you will need to acquire a sausage stuffing attachment. Fortunately, they aren’t prohibitively pricey. If you already possess a meat grinder and prefer sausages, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend a few extra bucks on the sausage attachment.
Bone Grinder
Meat grinders are strong equipment that can be used to grind bones. You might wonder why because pets enjoy chewing on bones. Whether cow, chicken, rabbit, duck, or goat, your pets will probably appreciate eating ground bones as much as you will enjoy eating the other options on this list.
For dogs, bones are a good source of calcium and phosphorus.
Vegetables Pulverised
The meat grinder can blend vegetables the same way as a mixer can. I prefer the meat grinder to the mixer for some vegetables. For those who enjoy cooking with greens, this opens up many possibilities. Some of the tastiest stuffing I’ve ever put on a cheese toast comes from grinding vegetables and then adding spices to the combination.
When it comes to crushing veggies, experimentation is key. I began by only using broccoli, but I’ve now expanded to include a variety of vegetables, and it’s delicious.
Using the meat grinder, you can simply grind onions and cucumbers. It’s a simple process that simply takes peeling the onions before they’re ready to use.
A meat grinder can also chop and combine potatoes and tomatoes.
Gratifying Cheese
Isn’t this amazing? Place a large chunk of cheddar on top of the meat grinder, force it down the screw conveyor, and it will come out in small stripes on the other end.
Grating cheese might be tedious and time-consuming, but with a meat grinder, it’s a breeze. The only disadvantage is that there will be some residual cheese in the grinder because it will most likely melt while being ground and stick.
It’ll still only be a small amount of cheese that sticks to the inside of the meat grinder, so it’ll be well worth it.
How to Make Peanut Butter
It is possible. While I don’t believe it is the most efficient method of creating peanut butter, it is fun and produces excellent results. I simply put as many peanuts as I wanted in the grinder and ground them with the smallest plate attached.
They’ll seem gritty after one round, so I normally ground them a second time, resulting in an oily surface and a creamy but crunchy texture. Perfect.
How to Make a Fresh Ground Burger
I’m sure you already know that the meat grinder can make great burger patties. I’m just here to remind you to give it a shot if you haven’t already. You can choose your favorite meat or a combination of meats by grinding your burger patties.
Then, using the appropriate plate size, you can get the desired coarseness. All that’s left is to shape and grill the patties before sandwiching it between two buns for the juiciest burger ever.
Cookie Dough Preparation
Yes! If you didn’t know, you could produce the right cookie dough with your meat grinder. Heavy-duty meat grinders can easily handle cookie dough, making it simple to crush nuts and combine everything for the proper texture.
Although using a meat grinder to knead and mix dough is unusual, it is perfectly acceptable. It’s a perfect solution for individuals who don’t have access to a dough mixer.
Is it Worth Buying a Meat Grinder?
In my opinion, yes. I believe I’ve had a good chance to develop a frame of reference when it comes to these items, having acquired practically every kitchen equipment available to mankind on our small planet. I’m trying to convey that I’ve tried a lot of various equipment and have found that a meat grinder is one that I can justify purchasing.
I was satisfied with the purchase even when I only used it to ground meat. The appliance has become a mainstay in our home now that I’m using it for so many things, and it would be replaced quickly if it broke down.
If you like meat, enjoy cooking, and value quality, I believe having the ability to grind your meat would be beneficial to you. That way, you can choose which parts of the animal to ground, giving you more control over the meat’s flavour, texture, and fat content.
Another consideration is the financial component of the situation. Since I started grinding my meat instead of buying pre-packaged ground beef at the grocery store, I’ve saved a lot of money. Surely, it has covered the cost of the equipment and then more.