The name “meat grinder” implies that the machine was designed, specifically, to grind meat and that’s true to a certain degree. However, as with many other things, it isn’t restricted to only do that. With a little bit of creativity, a meat grinder can have various areas of usage.
When I first got my meat grinder, I actually only used it to grind meat, but being the kitchen appliance nerd that I am, I quickly began looking for other ways of using the meat grinder.
As it turns out, the meat grinder can be used for far more than you would think initially. The more I used the grinder, the better I got at exploring the options and adjusting them to fit my taste. I’ve considered calling it my absolute favorite tool in the kitchen right now. Knowing how I am, that may very well change tomorrow.
Here’s what I’ve come up with. I hope you find some of these ideas helpful and try them at home.
What Can a Meat Grinder Be Used For?
Meat grinders are primarily used to fine chop (or mince) raw or cooked meat, fish, and vegetables. There are two types of meat grinders, electric and hand-cranked ones.
While the hand-cranked meat grinder requires a little bit more effort to work, I still think it’s a great appliance. However, I would absolutely opt for an electric meat grinder as it can grind several pounds of meat with ease and with very little effort provided by me.
Then there are industrial meat grinders that can grind several tons of meat in a single hour. That’s kind of crazy when you think about it.
Anyways, the meat grinder is designed so that the minced meat is placed in the cup on top of the grinder which then funnels it to a screw conveyor. The screw conveyor then squashes and mixes the meat before it reaches a blade installed at the end of the screw conveyor. When passing the blade, the meat will come out the lower end of the meat grinder through a fixed hole plate.
These fixed hole plates come in different sizes and are interchangeable. Changing the size of the holes will result in either larger or smaller strips of the ingredient you’re grinding.
Now that we’ve talked about the appliance and its attachments, let’s look at what it can do.
Grinding Meat
The first and most obvious thing the meat grinder can do is, of course, grinding meat. You can use your meat grinder to grind meat of any type with great results. Changing the size of the blade will change the coarseness of the meat coming out of the grinder. You can go wild here. Anything you would otherwise buy in-store can now be made at home.
Experiment with different types of meat and different mixes. If you think you’ve done it all, think again. I recommend studying the different parts of the cow and then figure out which parts you like the most. From there just go ahead and make your favorite dishes using that meat.
Meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, sausages and so much more. You name it.
Stuffing Sausages
Yes!! The meat grinder can also be used to stuff sausages. Think of all the different types of meat that you love and imagine them in a sausage. The possibilities are endless here as well. You can mix different types of meat and add your favorite spices then place the sausages on the grill. In my experience, they’re so much juicier than the ones you buy at the store.
If your meat grinder doesn’t come with a sausage stuffing attachment you will have to purchase one separately. Thankfully, they’re not very expensive. If you’ve already purchased a meat grinder and you fancy sausages, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend a few extra bucks to get the sausage attachment.
Grinding Bones
Meat grinders are powerful machines and can, therefore, be used to grind bones. Why, you ask? Well, because pets love eating bones. It doesn’t matter if it’s cow, chicken, rabbit, duck, or goat, your pets will most likely enjoy eating ground bones as much as you will enjoy eating the rest of the alternatives on this list.
Bones are a good source of calcium and phosphorous for dogs.
Grinding Vegetables
Just like a mixer, the meat grinder can be used to mix vegetables with great results. For some vegetables, I actually prefer the meat grinder over the mixer. This opens up a whole lot of options for those who are keen on cooking with greens. Grinding vegetables and then adding spices in the mix can make for some of the best stuffing I’ve ever placed on a cheese toast.
When it comes to grinding vegetables, you will learn as you explore. I started out by only using broccoli but I’ve now expanded into all types of vegetables and it’s awesome.
You can easily ground both onions and cucumbers using the meat grinder. It’s an effortless task that only requires you to peel the onions and then they’re good to go.
Potatoes and tomatoes can also be sliced and mixed with the help of a meat grinder.
To Grate Cheese
How awesome is this? You can place a big piece of cheddar on top of the meat grinder then force it down the screw conveyor and it will come out the other end in small stripes.
Grating cheese can be time-consuming and tiresome but with a meat grinder, it’s such an easy task. The only downside is that there will be some leftover cheese in the grinder as it most likely will reach its melting point when it’s being grounded and stick.
It’s still just a small portion of the cheese that will stick to the inside of the meat grinder, making it well worth it.
Making Peanut Butter
It can be done. While I don’t think it’s the most effective way of making peanut butter, it’s still a fun way of doing it and the results are great. I simply place as many peanuts as I want in the grinder with the smallest plate attached and then grind them.
After one round, they’ll come out looking a bit grainy so I usually just grind them a second time which usually produces an oily surface and creamy but crunchy texture. Perfect.
Making Fresh Ground Burger
I know, you’re already aware of the fact that the meat grinder can make awesome burger patties. Basically, I’ve just come to remind you to try this if you haven’t already. Grinding your own burger patty will give you the option of choosing your favorite meat or even a mix of your favorite meats.
Then, with the right size plate, you can also achieve the desired coarseness. Once ground all you have to do is shape the patty and cook it before you place it between two buns and make the juiciest burger ever.
Mixing Cookie Dough
Yes! If you didn’t already know it: Your meat grinder can be used to create perfectly mixed cookie dough. Heavy-duty meat grinders can handle cookie dough with ease, making it so easy to grind nuts and mixing it all together, giving the dough the perfect texture.
Using a meat grinder to knead and mix dough may be a bit out of the ordinary but it’s totally fine to do so. It’s absolutely a fully capable substitute for those who don’t own a dough mixer.
Is a Meat Grinder Worth Getting?
I absolutely think so. Having purchased nearly every kitchen appliance available to mankind on our little planet, I think I’ve had a proper chance to create a frame of reference when it comes to these things. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve tried a bunch of different appliances and a meat grinder is an appliance that I can justify buying.
Even back when I only used it to grind meat, I was still content with the purchase. Now that I’m using it for a bunch of different things, the appliance has become a staple in our home and it would be replaced rapidly if it broke down.
If you’re a person who enjoys meat, enjoys cooking, and cares about quality, I think you would benefit from having the possibility to grind your own meat. That way you can choose which part of the animal you want to grind, meaning you can control both the taste, texture, and fat content of the meat.
Another thing to take into consideration is the economical aspect. Ever since I started grinding my own meat rather than purchasing pre-packaged ground beef at the store, I’ve been able to save quite a bit of money. Surely, it has covered the cost of the appliance and then some.