How to grind your own meat in a food processor

Source: www.thekitchn.com/how-to-grind-your-own-meat-in-134272

Grinding your own meat gives you control over the quality, freshness, and types of cuts. Make chili to hamburgers (or homemade beef jerky).

Ingredients

Meat – You can use any cut or any blend of meats called for in your recipe, or whichever cuts you prefer. Commercial ground beef and pork generally uses top or bottom round, shoulder, and chuck cuts. We like cuts that show some visible fat, at least 15% – 20%. If we go much leaner, we find that the meat ends up dry and tasteless.

Equipment

-sharp knife
-baking sheet
-food processor

Instructions
1. Cut the Meat into 1-Inch Cubes – Cutting the meat into same-sized chunks will help it grind more quickly, easily, and uniformly.

2. Partially Freeze the Cubes – Spread the cubes out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch. Freeze until the edges are stiff but the middles are still pliable, about 20 minutes. This will help the food processor blade to cut the meat cleanly, rather than tearing or smearing it.

3. Grind the Meat in Batches – Fill your food processor about half-way (roughly 8-ounces of meat) and grind it in about 8 – 10 one-second pulses, until it looks coarsely ground. Empty the meat into a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat.

4. Check Over Meat – Check through the meat for large pieces. Re-grind pieces of meat and discard any tough gristle.

5. Use Immediately or Freeze

 

Homemade Ground Beef Jerky

Source: www.betteronabudget.com/2012/04/25/make-your-own-beef-jerky-self-reliance-journey/

Ingredients

2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar

•Mix all ingredients together in a good sized mixing bowl. Use your hands to make sure the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the meat.

•
Refrigerate the mixture for 24 hours. Roll the meat out in strips or patties and dry in your food dehydrator according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

•Drying time will vary depending on humidity and the fat content of the meat. Once removed from the oven jerky is cooled and stored in an open
container to allow drying to continue. Seal the container to prevent further drying. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

*If you don’t have a food dehydrator, don’t despair! According to the original recipe, you can dry it in your oven at 150 degrees with the door ajar (to ensure actual DRYING, not just slow cooking) for 4-8 hours, depending on how thick you cut it.