Time to grind

MasterC

Once again this is place is pushing me to try new things and lighten up my wallet. All those Charcuterie post are just insanely delicious looking and now I want to start. Just want to do small batch cook the same day stuff. Maybe it will lead to who knows a smokehouse.
I purchased this grinder for my mixer. 

It's sturdy and came with 3 thick dies

My first lesson learn how to use the grinder. I will be turning this into ground burger 


I washed everything thing up and will put the grinder with the dies in the freezer tonight getting them cold for tomorrow's lesson.

My thoughts are to trim cleanly then add fat, thinking I can control meat fat ratio. 

Any pointers welcome, thanks. I'm looking forward to the cooks ahead.

lkapigian

Awesome! Brisket untrimmed is around 30% ....but for practice you can break it out and weigh.....only thing you need to know is 2% salt by weight of the meat, everything else is just seasoning ....Brisket sausage is amazing, good luck and post results

kl8ton

buzd504

When I grind brisket, I just trim off the hardest of the fat, and just grind up the rest.  Mix after the first grind and grind again, and you will have a pretty consistent result.

MasterC

buzd504 said:

When I grind brisket, I just trim off the hardest of the fat, and just grind up the rest.  Mix after the first grind and grind again, and you will have a pretty consistent result.

Do you use the larger open for your second grind?

MasterC

lkapigian said:

Awesome! Brisket untrimmed is around 30% ....but for practice you can break it out and weigh.....only thing you need to know is 2% salt by weight of the meat, everything else is just seasoning ....Brisket sausage is amazing, good luck and post results

I didn't get any casing yet. First is to see how the Mrs does with me and my cleanup then the games begin.😁

4TheGrillOfIt

My wife told me there was no way I was getting raw meat near her mixer!  

MasterC

My wife doesn't know how to operate our mixers

lousubcap

I will pass on the above ^^^^ from @4TheGrillOfIt.  

Photo Egg

MasterC said:

buzd504 said:

When I grind brisket, I just trim off the hardest of the fat, and just grind up the rest.  Mix after the first grind and grind again, and you will have a pretty consistent result.

Do you use the larger open for your second grind?

With this set up, you might find the largest die is the only one you will use.

caliking

Nice! Didn't know that KA was making an all metal grinder attachment now. The plastic one wasn't great.

The grinder will get the job done, but the KA stuffer attachment will test your patience enough to go buy a sausage stuffer.

buzd504

Photo Egg said:

MasterC said:

buzd504 said:

When I grind brisket, I just trim off the hardest of the fat, and just grind up the rest.  Mix after the first grind and grind again, and you will have a pretty consistent result.

Do you use the larger open for your second grind?

With this set up, you might find the largest die is the only one you will use.

Agreed.  Especially for burgers.  A double grind through the largest is plenty.  I would use the finer die for certain applications (some sausage, beef sticks, possibly gyro meat), but mostly it's the large die.

MasterC

So this morning I got the brisket ready to grind. Cubed up the flat, point looked...I'll cook it later. Left the brisket to chill in the freeze before grinding.

After chilling the meat for one hour I pulled the grinder and brisket out. Set up and did the first grind. This thing is a little monster, chewed up this brisket faster than my nephews.


Ran it through a second time and it looks good. Pretty even consistency in the mix of fat and meat.

Ok sausage is next.
Off to the store for some buns and leaf lettuce.

MasterC

Cleans up easily 

lkapigian

Welcome to the Fray ! Looks great 

Griffin

You really only need to put the metal parts in the freezer for around 30 minutes, not overnight. They will get plenty cold. Same with the meat, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

Stewarba

Griffin said:

You really only need to put the metal parts in the freezer for around 30 minutes, not overnight. They will get plenty cold. Same with the meat, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

What is the point of chilling the metal parts? I have a LEM #8 that I use to grind whole turkeys for the dogs and have wanted to get into sausage making because of it. I have never chilled any parts up to this point for the dog food
though.

MasterC

Getting it cold will keep the meat colder as you work it.

lkapigian

Stewarba said:

Griffin said:

You really only need to put the metal parts in the freezer for around 30 minutes, not overnight. They will get plenty cold. Same with the meat, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

What is the point of chilling the metal parts? I have a LEM #8 that I use to grind whole turkeys for the dogs and have wanted to get into sausage making because of it. I have never chilled any parts up to this point for the dog food
though.

commodity meats tend to be "floppy" and shmear , fresh meat you do not need to do this ....it only matter in sausage and charcuterie ....that being said, a day ahead cure on commodity meats will firm it up and chilling is not as critical 

fishlessman

ebay has plate sets with larger openings for the kitchen aide, the standard plates are on the small side. you want bigger plates for chili grind. theres two styles, you want the slot style that is shown in the pic, the other has tabs

MasterC

fishlessman said:

ebay has plate sets with larger openings for the kitchen aide, the standard plates are on the small side. you want bigger plates for chili grind. theres two styles, you want the slot style that is shown in the pic, the other has tabs

Dang and now my wallet will get a little lighter 

Botch

MasterC said:

Cleans up easily 

Didn't see this thread until now.  I drop a couple slices of bread through the machine when the meat is finished; makes cleanup easier and you have breadcrumbs for panade, if you're making meatloaf.  
Enjoy the journey!  

fishlessman

MasterC said:

fishlessman said:

ebay has plate sets with larger openings for the kitchen aide, the standard plates are on the small side. you want bigger plates for chili grind. theres two styles, you want the slot style that is shown in the pic, the other has tabs

Dang and now my wallet will get a little lighter 

this set gets you up to a half inch hole size, theres one size bigger with slotted holes but i dont see it right now. some sausages have a very coarse grind to them. dont double grind with the larger one you have now

MasterC

My wife, you've only used it once what do you  need all those for. Shease go figure bless her heart.

fishlessman

heres the link, the bigger plates make the grinder useful. the set kitchen aide sells is pretty much too small for most things, no idea what to even use the small plate on

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161188581240?hash=item2587968f78:g:fywAAOSwA3dYj43h

nolaegghead

fishlessman said:

heres the link, the bigger plates make the grinder useful. the set kitchen aide sells is pretty much too small for most things, no idea what to even use the small plate on

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161188581240?hash=item2587968f78:g:fywAAOSwA3dYj43h

Anyone here have a water jet cutter?

hoosier_egger

nolaegghead said:

fishlessman said:

heres the link, the bigger plates make the grinder useful. the set kitchen aide sells is pretty much too small for most things, no idea what to even use the small plate on

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161188581240?hash=item2587968f78:g:fywAAOSwA3dYj43h

Anyone here have a water jet cutter?

Sounds like the next tool for your shop

MasterC

These will be delivered tomorrow 

Botch

MasterC said:

These will be delivered tomorrow 

I have those, and they're much more useful than the two smaller plates in the original Kitchenaid set (the medium disk didn't work for me, and I never even tried the small one).  

MasterC

Results from 1st lesson 1/2 pound brisket burger. The little one is for our dog.

CTMike

lousubcap said:

I will pass on the above ^^^^ from @4TheGrillOfIt.  

Leave it to the bubblehead to drag a perfectly polite conversation in to the gutter. 😎