small appliances
What is a meat grinder and how does it work?
A meat grinder consists of a hopper or tray that feeds food through grinding plates to achieve a certain texture. Types of meat grinders include: a manual grinder that requires a hand crank to operate, a stand mixer attachment that leverages the mixer’s motor to perform the grinding action and an electric grinder with an internal motor.
A meat grinder is a useful attachment for your KitchenAid® stand mixer that finely minces and mixes ingredients.
These tips can help you effectively use a meat grinder to achieve bold and flavourful blends of meats, produce and more. You can also learn how to properly use a food grinder attachment for your KitchenAid® stand mixer.
What is a meat grinder and what is it used for
Meat grinders serve a distinct purpose. They can be used to mince and grind various ingredients so you can make everything from spiced lamb meatballs to vegetarian favourites like falafel.
Accessories for KitchenAid® food grinder attachments are available to help you stuff sausage or make a purée from strain fruits and vegetables.
You can experience a level of control over ingredient sources, textures and flavours. This means you can decide how your sausage will taste or the level of pulp in your purée. If you like to make food from scratch, then a KitchenAid® food and meat grinder could be an ideal tool for your repertoire.
Here are some key benefits to owning a food and meat grinder:
FLAVOUR
Easily sustain flavour integrity with fresh ingredients without having to include preservatives and commercial additives. Tweak the flavour in your recipes by combining beef and lamb for tagine cooking, chicken and pork for dumplings or beef and pork to form the ultimate burger patties.
SOURCE
By grinding your own meat, you hold the keys as to where the meat comes from and the varieties and cuts, including whether you use meat from locally-raised livestock or cuts purchased at a grocery store or butcher.
VERSATILITY
A KitchenAid® food grinder lets you work with a variety of ingredients such as butternut squash, potato, sweet potato and other cooked soft vegetables so you can make gnocchi, pierogies and other delicious recipes. You can also pair it with the Fruit and Vegetable Strainer Attachment designed to expertly make jams, sauces, baby foods and more.
TEXTURE
From fine to coarse, you can control the texture of the grind and choose to loosely shape meatballs and sausages to help make sure the finished product is tender. This differs from packaged products that may be compressed and results in a tougher texture when cooked.
how to attach & use the food grinder attachment on your kitchenaid®stand mixer
The two KitchenAid® food grinder attachments work by connecting to the power hub of any KitchenAid® stand mixer. All you must do is insert the assembled attachment, secure it in place and begin grinding your favourite ingredients. It’s best to always refer to the owner’s manual for your specific model for full instructions and safety information.
Here's an overview of how the attachments work:
1) Assemble the food grinder attachment and then insert the attachment shaft into the hub.
2) Tighten the mixer hub knob by turning it clockwise until the attachment is fully secured to the mixer.
3) Lastly, cut food into pieces that are small enough to fit through the feed tube. Then turn the stand mixer to speed 4 and use the food pusher to carefully guide food into the feed tube.
tips for using a manual or electric meat grinder or attachements
These tips can help you achieve the best possible results from either a stand mixer attachment, a manual grinder or a standalone electric grinder.
TRIM
Trim the excess fat and skin. This will ensure that you only grind the best parts of the meat. This way the grinder will chop more efficiently and help avoid smearing.
REMOVE
You want to remove any bones and bone fragments. Trimming out bones is important for both your safety and the product’s longevity.
SIZE
Be sure you cut your meat into pieces that will be able to easily move from the tray into the grinder opening. Pieces that are too large may clog the grinder.
SEASON
If you are someone who likes to season their meat, then coat the trimmed cut in a dry rub and let it rest in the fridge. Seasoning the meat prior to grinding can help evenly distribute the flavour.
CHILL MEAT
For best results, you want the meat you will grind to be either very cold or even partially frozen. Best practices suggest that you chill for roughly 30 minutes. This varies based on the size and cut of your meat. If you’re planning to grind large quantities, we recommend that you keep it refrigerated and remove small amounts to grind in batches.
CHILL GRINDER
The best way to maintain temperatures while in operation is to chill the grinder and food tray for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to grinding. The KitchenAid® Metal Food Grinder can be safely kept in the refrigerator or freezer. This will help you achieve a cold grinding temperature and a clean grind when preparing meat.
BATCHES
Try to always work in small batches to prevent one or more of the following from happening: the grinder from overloading, the plate from clogging or the motor from straining. Also, you should clean the die and blade before moving on to another batch.
GRIND AND GRIND AGAIN
If you’re looking for more tender results, remember that you can grind some meats twice. However, you should only ground fatty meats once.
RE-CHILL
Chill the ground meat in between grinds. This can easily be done by grinding the meat directly into a bowl that’s sitting in an ice bath using a large bowl.
SMEARING
If you notice smearing as the meat is exiting the grinder, you may have not properly trimmed the sinew. This can result in the meat having to squeeze through the holes without getting adequately chopped. If this happens, try disassembling the grinder, cleaning the blade and then trimming some pieces.
IDEAS FOR USING YOUR MEAT GRINDER
MAKE PILLOWY GNOCCHI BY GRINDING POTATOES IN YOUR MEAT GRINDER
Food grinders can also be used as a food mill to grind potatoes, butternut squash and fresh garlic to make tender and fresh gnocchi.
MAKE SUCCULENT CHICKEN MEATBALLS BY GRINDING CHICKEN THIGHS
If you’re interested in reducing the fat in a meatball recipe, try substituting the pork or beef with ground chicken thighs. Or you can have some fun making this delicious Thai Chicken Meatballs recipe.
MAKE BOLD BURGERS BY GRINDING NEARLY ANY TYPE OF MEAT
Meat grinders let you combine the perfect blend of meats to create flavourful patties. While beef is often the popular choice for burgers, you can use a variety of ingredients like salmon or pork while also controlling the grind and fat content.
MAKE SAUSAGES BY USING YOUR KITCHENAID®FOOD GRINDER ATTACHMENT
A food grinder attachment can help you make traditional bangers and mash by combining a blend of beef, pork and pork backfat. Easily stuff your sausage by using the Sausage Stuffer Attachment that connects right to your food grinder, or the accessories that are included with the metal food grinder.
Want to learn more about how to select, prepare and handle sausage casings? If so, check out these tips for how to stuff sausage.
YOUR KITCHENAID®FOOD GRINDER WITH A KITCHENAID®STAND MIXER MAKE A GREAT PAIR
Enjoy years of exploring creative ways to incorporate freshly ground ingredients into your cooking with a KitchenAid® stand mixer. This countertop appliance is versatile and is always ready to help you tackle tough recipes. Choose from a wide variety of specialty attachments, designed to help you try new recipes, master new techniques and get more enjoyment out of cooking.
Model: KSM150PSAQ
Colour: Aqua Sky
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EXPLORE FOOD GRINDER ATTACHMENTS FROM KITCHENAID®
KitchenAid® brand food grinders conveniently attach to the power hub of any KitchenAid® stand mixer. Its motor pushes food through interchangeable plates that range from coarse to fine, to mince or grind ingredients. This process lets you customize your own unique blends and textures to make your everyday recipes or those that you have been dying to try.
You can choose from several food and meat grinder attachments from KitchenAid®. The meat grinder attachments can process locally-raised meats to make juicy and plump sausages, grind fruits for sweet or savoury chutneys or even make something as simple and delicious as seasoned bread crumbs.
Shop for the meat and food grinder attachments that you think will best meet your cooking needs, and transform your KitchenAid® stand mixer into even more of a culinary wonder.
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