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  • 5 Meat Grinder Ideas and Recipes You Should Try

    5 Meat Grinder Ideas and Recipes You Should Try

    In the past, people had to go to the butcher to get their meat ground to order. They had two choices; the butcher would grind it or they would have to do it at home. As meat started growing in popularity, butchers started to grind their meat ahead of time. They did this to save time and increase customer volume. At first, people were suspicious; they wanted to see their meat ground up in front of them so they could see exactly what they were getting. As time went on, grinding meat ahead of time started to become standard.

    Today, people are starting to realize that pre-ground meat may not be the best idea, and they are using meat grinders at home to make sure that they avoid the chemicals and fillers found in store-bought meat.

    A meat grinder is a great addition to any kitchen, but some people hesitate when buying one because they don’t feel like it’ll get enough use. Fortunately, the sky is the limit when it comes to the different foods that you can use in your grinder.

    Check out these unique recipes that give you an idea of just how versatile a meat grinder can be:

    SPICY CHICKEN & HAM SPREAD

    spicy chicken and ham spreadMost people don’t think of leftovers when they consider what their meat grinder can be used for, but with this recipe, you can use your grinder to spice up ham and chicken leftovers. We love combining these two meats to create an intricate flavor that compliments bread or crackers.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup chicken (cooked & chopped)
    • 1 cup ham (cooked & chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon sweet relish
    • 1 tablespoon lemon rind (grated)
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • Salt, pepper and Tabasco for seasoning

    Directions

    This recipe is simple to make. You start by running your chicken and ham through your meat grinder. After you do this, mix the relish and lemon zest into your chicken and ham. Add the butter, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Mix these ingredients until they are well blended; the mixture should be pretty smooth.

    Cover your bowl with plastic wrap, and then put it in your fridge for about 30 minutes. This spread can be served with veggies, on crackers or with a rye bread.

    BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

    breakfast sausageSausage is an all-time favorite at the breakfast table, and once you try this recipe, you’ll never have to buy breakfast sausage from the store again. Use your meat grinder to create a highly seasoned pork sausage that doesn’t need to be cured or smoked.

    Ingredients

    • 5 pounds of pork
    • 2 tablespoons salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sage (ground)
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ginger
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • ¼ cup of water

    Instructions

    Trim your pork to remove excess fat. When it’s nice and trimmed, grind the meat using your finest grinding plate.

    After grinding, add all of your seasonings. Mix these together by hand until they are spread evenly throughout the meat. Make patties with the sausage; cook them in a skillet for about seven minutes per side.

    CHICKEN CURRY BURGER

    chicken curry burgerAre you tired of regular hamburgers? Try this unique and spicy twist on the classic burger.

    • 1 red or yellow onion (diced)
    • 1 jalapeno
    • 3 cloves of garlic
    • 3 pounds of chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
    • 2 teaspoons of curry powder (yellow)
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

    Dice your onion and jalapeno peppers; combine them in a mixing bowl. If you like your food spicy, you can keep all the jalapeno seeds in your mixture. Peel you garlic cloves; set them aside for later use.

    Use your meat grinder to grind up your chicken thighs. While running your thighs through the grinder, stagger your garlic cloves through the grinder; make sure they get minced in with the ground chicken.

    Add the peppers and onions to the ground mix. Add honey, red pepper, curry, salt and black pepper to the meat. Mix the meat until everything is fully incorporated.

    Heat a nonstick skillet with your oil on medium heat. Create patties with the meat while the skillet is heating; they should be about six ounces each. Cook your burgers for 6-8 minutes per side; make sure that their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

    We love these burgers on a bun, or you can crush them up and throw them on top of a salad.

    CLASSIC HORSERADISH

    classic horseradishDid you know that you can use your meat grinder to make all-natural horseradish? Try this healthy horseradish recipe that can be used to top ham, eggs and anything else that needs a spicy kick.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup horseradish (grated)
    • ½ cup vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

    Cut your horseradish so that it fits in your meat grinder. You’re going to want about one cup of ground horseradish for this recipe. Be careful, this stuff is very spicy, so watch your hands and eyes.

    Take your grated horseradish and mix it with your vinegar and salt. Pack this into a jar, and then leave it in your fridge overnight. It’s simple to make, and you get fresh and healthy and horseradish with no preservatives or additives.

    MASHED POTATOES

    mashed potatoesThis recipe is a secret that many restaurants don’t want you to know about. When you run the potatoes through your meat grinder, it doesn’t mash them up; it cuts them very finely, and this results in a very fluffy and light mash that has little bits of potato in it.

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds of potatoes
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup heavy cream
    • 2 sticks of unsalted butter (sliced into tablespoon-sized pieces)
    • Black pepper

    Put your potatoes in a large saucepan, and make sure to cover them with an inch or two of water. Add your salt to the water; bring it to a boil over high heat. Once your water starts boiling, reduce heat to medium, and let the potatoes simmer for about 45 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain and peel the potatoes, but save half a cup of the cooking water for later.

    Cut your potatoes into quarters, and feed them through your meat grinder. You want to use the finest cutting plate you have. While doing this, heat your cream over medium heat until it starts to simmer; set it aside.

    Put your ground potatoes back into your large saucepan along with the water that you saved from before; fold in the heavy cream and butter. Add one chunk of butter at a time, and let it melt completely before adding more; it takes about one minute per chunk of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

    As you can see, there’s tons of stuff that you can do with your meat grinder. They are tough machines that can handle all different types of foods, and if you are creative with them, then there’s no limit to how they can help you with your cooking. Don’t get into the mindset that your grinder is only for meat. Your meat grinder is a versatile appliance that can be used for thousands of recipes.

  • Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 Review

    Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 Review

    UPDATE: the Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 is no longer available on the market. The best alternative to it that we recommend is the Cuisinart MG100

    The MG100 was created by Waring, a manufacturer that has been in the industry for over 60 years. This affordable electric meat grinder is powerful and meets the standards of a commercial grinder. Therefore, you can grind your meat at home with an appliance with commercial-power capability and performance.

    Waring Pro MG855 Meat Grinder
    Waring Pro MG100 Meat Grinder

    BUY ON Amazon | eBay

    Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 Review

    The Waring MG100 is powered by a 500-Watt motor that enables it to easily cut tough parts of  meat quickly. Despite the hard work, the appliance still looks sleek and stylish on the exterior, making it an excellent addition for any modern-day kitchen.

    The stainless steel grinder comes with three cutting plates. Therefore, you can choose how fine you want to grind your meat. The cutting blade is sharp enough and will easily cut tough beef, chicken, buffalo, elk and other meats.

    If you’re a sausage aficionado, this unit comes with two sausage attachments. If you have always wanted to make sausages from home, you need this electric meat grinder. By using this machine, you never have to worry about chemicals and additives making their way into your ground meat or sausage.

    This is a powerful meat grinder that’s perfect for most users. The unit comes with a cast aluminum pan, an auger and a reversible motor that helps to unjam it when you are dealing with tough meat or bone. The solid-steel cutting blades and three cutting plates allow you to customize your grind. I also love the beautiful finish.

    Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 Features

    • Has brushed steel housing that gives it a sleek and modern look
    • Comes with three cutting plates; fine, medium and coarse options
    • 500 peak Watt motor; 300 Watt output
    • Two sausage attachments
    • On/Off switch with reverse functionality
    • Lightweight and convenient; weighs nine pounds and measures 9.2 x 16.4 x 8.5 inches
    • Five-year manufacturer’s warranty

    Waring MG100 Professional Meat GrinderWaring MG100 Professional Meat Grinder

    BUY ON Amazon | eBay

    What is the  Waring MG100 Best Suited For?

    The MG100 is a great grinder for home use. This appliance has a strong engine and it can easily create ground meat and sausage.

    Before starting to grind meat, you should chop it into 1-inch chunks. After chopping, put the meat in the freezer for a couple of minutes to harden it. This way, the grinding blades will have an easy time grinding through the meat.

    The Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 is easy to use. You don’t have to force the meat into it. Instead, simply place the meat into the auger and it will be automatically sucked through to the grinding blades.  The machine does a great job of grabbing the meat and grinding it.  You won’t have to worry about the meat jamming.

    The MG100 is the perfect grinder for beginners at home. While the meat takes some time to be grounded, the results are phenomenal.

    Care and Maintenance for the MG100

    Taking care of the MG100 meat grinder is surprisingly easy. You simply need to clean it properly after every use. If you don’t clean the appliance after use, bacteria and rust can develop on the cutting blades and grinding plates.

    When you have finished grinding your meat, disassemble the unit to clean all the pieces individually with warm soapy water. Make sure to pat all the parts dry after cleaning. This is important to preserve the parts and prevent them from rusting.

    The Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100 has a powerful motor. However, it’s not really meant for tough tendons and bones. Therefore, you should avoid putting such stuff through the grinder. Putting too many bones and tendons through the machine can clog it and can eventually strip the gears inside.

    The MG100 is a strong grinder. However, it is not strong enough to handle a constant flow of bones and tendons.

    meat grinder mg100

    Waring MG100 Professional Meat Grinder

    What You Should Know

    If you’re looking for an industrial grinder for daily use, then the Waring MG100 is not for you. While the grinder can get through about six pounds of meat in two minutes, it isn’t made for non-stop grinding.

    This meat grinder is perfect for grinding smaller quantities of meat a couple of times a week. However, if you plan on using it daily, the gears are likely to fail faster.

    Should You Buy the Waring Pro Meat Grinder MG100?

    The Waring MG100 is perfect for people who want to grind their own meat without spending boatloads of money on a commercial-grade machine. The appliance is sturdy, powerful, and can help you grind your own meat and make sausage at home.

    The cutting plates have three settings; fine, medium and coarse, which allow you to have professional grounded meat at home. You’ll love the results from the meat grinder.

    If you’re looking for a dependable, strong, durable and affordable meat grinder, the mG100 is definitely worth checking out. The simple On/Off switch with reverse functionality makes this unit easy to operate. Moreover, you can disassemble the appliance to clean after use.

    The Waring Pro meat grinder model MG100 offers commercial-grade grinding power at a domestic kitchen price. This is one of the best meat grinders for home use.

    BUY ON Amazon | eBay

     

  • Meco Electric Grill and Water Smoker Review

    Meco Electric Grill and Water Smoker Review

    Meco Electric Grill and Combination Water Smoker

    AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

    The food delicacy is one of the favorite sources of satisfying ones taste for food. Preparing food with a taste of flavor is just an adequate adventure of the food loving persons around the world. The advantage of this particular appliance contains a special significant while making a food.

    The designs and the features of water smoker and the grill, is a time savior, handy and flexible. It contributes an easy food making procedure for everyone, whoever wants a quick delivery of food. Meco electric grill and combination water smoker carries a long lasting ability, if handled with care for a food loving person, who prefers to have smoked food for an added taste.

    Product Specifications:

    • Cooking shows up is 351 square inches
    • Heating elements usually leant 1500 watt UL leant
    • Designed with 2 stages of cooking with 2 nickel plated appliances
    • Designed with 2 accessible skidding doors bridling water, food and also wood chips
    • Feature with porcelain zed water trash
    • Flexible plug in facility in any kind of home outlet
    • Applied with the system of estimating temperature

    Meco electric grill and combination water smoker has appeared with its best province of delivering and processing food for everyone. It is designed with an appliance which offers to keep 1500 heating elements while cooking, which delivers a random heating temperature. It is designed with 2 stages of cooking area with 2 nickel plated appliance. It provides an easy check up procedure through 2 accessible skidding doors and bridling water, food and as well as wood chips.

    It also offers a smart outlook or display with porcelain zed water trash. Flexible plugging facility in any kind of household outlet, distributes an ultra water handy usage. A temperature control appliance process is outstanding. The electric smoker is featured with side wooden and hood handles for extra gizmo.

    Positive features of using Meco Electric Smoker

    •       An inexpensive appliance with multi featured and high tech oriented
    •       Flexible, handy, and quick service provider
    •       Time saver, power and less electric consumption
    •       It provides an excellent smoked product
    •       Designed with a conciliatory wooden door panels for checking food
    •       Easy to use and serves quick food.

    Negative features of using Meco Electric Smoker

    •       It is not designed with advanced features
    •       Can able to produce much smoke
    •       Lack traditional electric advantages

    Customer’s feedback

    It is always more assuring to get opinions from more people who have tried the Meco Electric Smoker so here are some feedback given by other customers among the hundreds that have left positive feedback.

     

    My personal opinion on Meco Electric Smoker

    Meco electric grill and water smoker can be the best buy for any starter as compare to other more established smoker manufacturer such as Masterbuilt and Bradley. The usage of this product can be rational and candid but the modern features are found still missing and it also capable of producing lots of smoke as well. This product is inexpensive and represents a quick extradition of smoked food and saves electricity consumption as a whole.

    Meco electric and combination water smoker is the best buy. Making food with less consumption of electricity focuses the eligible quality of this product. The display and the program of this product contribute a food with quality and taste with its implications. Fulfill your desires of quenching your hunger with smoked and grilled food with Meco electric grill and combination water smoker. It is even considered by some as the top electric smoker for a beginner!

     

     

     

  • Getting The Most Use From Your Barbecue’s Side Burner

    Getting The Most Use From Your Barbecue’s Side Burner

    Barbecue Side Burner

    Many people own some type of grill for their backyards, camping or tailgating.  Barbecuing has become a national pastime and a hobby for many.  While people use their grills constantly, a lot of home cooks leave their barbecue side burner untouched.  Whether it’s being unsure what it is used for or how best to use it, the barbecue side burner has become an extremely unused component.

    With some tips and ideas, this underrated barbecue tool can become a backyard cooks helping hand.  Some of the many uses are listed below in hopes to help everyone understand and utilize the side burner more frequently.

    Some tips on how to use your side burner

    • Sauces
    • Cooking foods with odors
    • Side dishes and toppings
    • Coffee and tea

    Sauces

    The side burner is the perfect accessory when making chicken, ribs, and wings.  Placing a pot of barbecue sauce, or wing sauce to heat up on the burner is simple and convenient, since you don’t want to put a cold sauce on hot food as it slows down the cooking process.  Being able to transfer chicken wings directly to a pot of buffalo, or other sauce, is so much easier than having to bring a plate of food into the house.

    Simple gravy for turkey and sausages can be easily done on the side.  Anytime the burners in your house don’t need to be on, especially in the summer, is a positive.  Any sauces that need to be cooked or heated up can be done right on the side burner.

    Cooking foods with odors

    Strong smelling vegetables, fish and other seafood are just a few examples of foods that can leave a strong odor in your house which can be unpleasant.  The side burner on a grill is a great way to quickly sauté some vegetables or prepare a piece of fish and keep the smell out of the house.

    Side dishes and toppings

    Side burners are great for preparing side dishes as well.  Warming up any kind of vegetable, baked beans, cooking potatoes, boiling corn, can all be accomplished with a side burner.  Another fabulous use is for toppings.  Throwing a small pan of onion and mushrooms and sautéing them in order to top a steak is another convenient purpose for the burner.  Frying up bacon on the burner for burgers or warming sauerkraut for hotdogs are another way to get tons of use from this accessory.

    Coffee and tea

    Believe it or not many people serve coffee or tea after a big barbecue.  The caffeine will help wake up the guests and prepare them for their drive home.  Brewing a pot of coffee right on the side burner allows you the ability to have the pot outside, and it is much easier to access for your guests.

    Some people like to sit around a fire pit on a cool night with friends and family.  Now you can throw on a pot of coffee or hot tea, or even water for hot chocolate and keep everyone happy.

    Think of other ways to use your barbecue side burner

    With so many people enjoying grilling and backyard barbecuing these days, finding any way to enhance this experience is useful.  Especially in hotter climates, having the ability to not run your stove inside the house can be a blessing.  Stoves and ranges can produce massive amounts of heat, so keeping them off in the summer is a bonus.  This is where having a barbecue side burner can really come in handy.  Whether it cooking sides, heating up sauces, keeping those strong odors out of your house, or just brewing a pot of coffee, a grill’s side burner can do it all.

    So next time you have friends or family over, try some of these tricks with the grill.  Your guests will be impressed, and you’ll be happy your house stayed cool.  The most under-appreciated tool in a cook’s arsenal could end up becoming a griller’s best friend.

  • What utensils are needed for proper barbecuing?

    What utensils are needed for proper barbecuing?

    Barbecue utensils come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and utilities.  They also come individually or in kits.  For a beginning griller, the kits are nice as they usually provide the owner with several utensils in some sort of carrying case.  For a seasoned chef, they may look for individual products to meet a new need, or replace an old tool.  Make sure any utensil you choose is at least 12 inches long.  Open flame grills become extremely hot, and can be unbearable to cook on if your hands are becoming too hot.

    There are certain essential tools that anyone who barbecues should have.  These handful of utensils will provide the best experience and provide the proper way to cook on and maintain your grill.

    The essential barbecue tools

    • Tongs
    • Fork
    • Spatula
    • Basting brush
    • Meat Claws
    • Cleaning tools

    Tongs

    Tongs are great tools when it comes to grilling.  They can grab just about anything, and easily hold onto it and transfer it to the plate.  There two types of tongs that are usually available for grilling and they are the scissor type and the gripping type.  The scissor tongs get their name because they look like a pair of scissors, while the gripper tongs usually have “teeth” which grab into the meat.  The grippers will hold onto meat better, but can sometimes puncture the meat and allow the juices to escape.

    Fork

    The fork is not really a single use tool.  Just like the teeth on the tongs, in order to use the fork you have to poke holes in the meat.  Barbecue forks are usually only good for large slabs of heavy meat in addition with the tongs.

    Spatula

    Spatulas are one of the most used tools when grilling.  Whether it’s flipping burgers, fish, or chicken breasts, the spatula will do most jobs without tearing up the meat.

    Basting brush

    Basting brushes, or mop brushes as their sometimes called, are great a great accessory for any barbecuing fan.  Basting brushes are used to add barbecue sauce directly to meat as it’s cooking on the grill.  Basting can add a flavorful coating to many meats, and thinner sauces can actually penetrate meat and keep it moist.  Silicon brushes have become the new favorite among many cooks as they’re easier to clean and hold a lot more sauce.  Slanted brushes are great as they can easily reach the meat in the back of the grill.

    Meat claws

    Meat claws were traditionally designed for large hunks of meat, like pork, to easily pull it apart and save the cook lots of time.  Another great feature meat claws can be used for is moving large pieces of protein.  When the slab is so heavy, sticking a meat claw into each end can make lifting and carrying it so much easier.  It will leave holes in the meat, but it could be the only viable option for carrying it.

    Cleaning tools

    A much overlooked tool by many, they could be the most important barbecue tool to own.  When grilling, fat releases from the meat, sticking to the metal grates in the grill.  Also, bits of food can stick to the grate, eventually burning and causing a film to form on the grate.  Without proper cleaning, these build ups can stick to the new meat and cause an undesirable taste.  Wire brushes work great as they will remove the majority of the particles left on the grill.  If there is any remaining debris, use warm, soapy water and steel wool to remove it.  There are a large selection of cleaning options available, but a good wire brush can be all that’s needed.

    While there are a large number of barbecue utensils available on the market, sometimes less can be more.  Purchasing a proper utensil kit with tongs, a spatula, a basting brush and fork, will get you through any grilling adventure.  If you’re looking to smoke or grill large slabs of meat, investing in some meat claws is smart.  Finally, complete your collection with a durable wire grill brush and your utensil set will be complete.