Burger Meat

[mk1]

Burger meat at home. I am a little picky..... 15 pound inside round primal grass fed roast...very well trimmed and super lean 4 pound lamb shoulder roast well trimmed (about 2.5 pounds after trimming)

[primeats]

Re: Burger Meat

Looks great, what are your plans for this mixture?

[mk1]

Re: Burger Meat

I will eat it...LOL

It was vacpac'd for fresh use this week and frozen over the next several.

burgers, bolognese, etc.

just family eating

[dub]

Re: Burger Meat

Here's to grindin yer own!

I like chuck with bacon and lil bit of onion

in my burger grind.

dub(do it yerself do it right)

[Firemonkey]

Re: Burger Meat

Dub, are you using the kitchen aid grinder as well?

How do you guys like that grinder attachment? I was considering getting a stand alone grinder to do my own burger meat, chicken/turkey, and maybe play around making some sausage, meat sticks, etc. it's hard to justify the cost of a stand alone LEM unit when the kitchen aid attachment is only $50. My biggest concern is convenience and cleaning - if either are a PITA then I won't find myself using it as much as I should to warrant the purchase. The LEM unit lets you disassemble the auger and feed tube for easier cleaning. Is cleaning an issue on the KA, as I don't think the auger comes out of the housing?

[primeats]

Re: Burger Meat

The problem with most mixer grinder attachments is the high rpm of the machine. It has the tendency to heat up the meat while grinding and giving a very pasty like texture. Most manufacturers or recipes recommend partially freezing the meat first or mixing ice with the grind(when making sausages).

[mk1]

Re: Burger Meat

It is easy to use and clean. I run it quite slow.and bave not noted any warmth transmitting to the parts.

I would endorse it.

[dub]

Re: Burger Meat

FM,Sorry for the late reply-

I curently use a Krups lo-wattage unit. It replaced a super Alfa handcranker.

I miss that handcranker-it did a far better job since its blades were sharper.

+1 to parfreezing the ingredients and the metal grinder parts.

and

Remember the Prime Directive for All Power Tools:

Don't Hog It! Slow Down!

dub(when you grind by hand it makes you hungry twice)

[qundoy]

Re: Burger Meat

FM, i have the grinder and sausage stuffer for my KA. i have been pleased with the grinder, it grinds more volume than i was expecting it to do. the plates, blades, auger, all come apart for cleaning.

The sausage stuffer works.... I dont like the stuffing tube being approx a foot off the work surface it makes stuffing a bit of a juggling act while holding up the sausage and loading the small tray. I have bought a cheap manual stuffer from harbor freight, it works but not very smoothly, i need to upgrade.

[Firemonkey]

Re: Burger Meat

Thanks for the info. I picked up a grinder attachment to give it a try. I figure I can always return it if I hate it.

I looked at the stuffing kit in the instruction book, but it looks like it only has small tubes. Id like to try making some summer sausage which I think will take a bigger tube?

How about putting a sheet pan on top of something under the stuffing tube so it's not so elevated? Or is the problem just an awkward height and not the distance?

[qundoy]

Re: Burger Meat

just an akward height, if you drop the sausage while stuffing it lands on the work surface and reels the casing off the tube. so you stop the process and reload the casing while hanging on to the sausage. the last time i made any it was in the 3/4 inch casings, 1 casing made a sausage approx 7 ft long.

I dont make it often so i have been purchasing the casings at the local butcher shop, it cost a bit more than ordering from the sausage supply but i dont need 100 casings.