You’ve got a meat grinder and haven’t used it very often? Well, this beneficial cooking appliance has gone beyond its initial use, and there are a variety of ingredients that it can deal with. By learning about its diverse functions, getting closer to kitchen mastery is like a piece of cake.
Without further delay, let’s explore what the device is used for, alongside discussing its other functions and alternatives when you don’t have this equipment at hand.
What Is A Meat Grinder Used For?
It is mainly used for crushing meat for sausages, burgers, or any recipes that call for grounded meat. The ingredients here can be pork, beef, chicken, duck, and veal. Also, you can utilize the equipment for juicing, making cookie dough, mill soft grains, and crushing many types of vegetables mentioned in the sections below.
So far, there are two common types: manual ones and electric ones. While the manual version is considered better for small amounts of meat, the electric version is more beneficial for large batches of grinding.
Can You Use A Meat Grinder To Grind Apples?
You can use it to mince apples. Essentially, this cooking tool functions as a food processor, particularly the electric version equipped with juicing function, thus can crush the fruit and provide you with smooth liquid or some juicy apple juice.
To get smooth apple batches, you should choose soft fruits, remove the seeds and skin, then cut them into smaller pieces before running through the machine. In this way, you will have ideal apple textures for cooking recipes like jam or baking.
Still, this appliance is not recommended for making apple juice, cider, or beer. This is because it won’t extract the juice entirely as the machine presser, and you would need an attachment to avoid juice leakage. Also, the juice can flow back to the motor and affect the machine.
Can You Use A Meat Grinder For Tomatoes?
You can quickly grind or crush tomatoes into a smooth sauce with the machine, applying for both manual and electric types. The machines often come with a ricer and strainer, removing the seeds and skins and retaining only the juice for tomato sauce.
However, there are some notes when grinding tomatoes or any cooking materials with an electric meat mincer. First, you should check if the blade, the tube, and the drill are made from stainless steel and food-grade plastic sources. Otherwise, they may release toxic chemicals when used in hot conditions. Next, pay attention to the sizes of the cutting blade and cutting plate, then chop tomatoes into suitable sizes.
Can You Use A Meat Grinder To Make Pasta?
You can use a grinder to make pasta such as spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle, fusilli, and rigatoni. Some machines come with attachments for making noodles, and some don’t. But no need to worry! You can quickly find the right pasta accessories from many online shops out there.
Homemade pasta with a meat-grinding machine is considered more healthy and flexible compared to store-bought products. On the other hand, the manual version is considered more comfortable since you can easily control the speed and avoid unwanted textures.
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Can You Use A Meat Grinder To Rice Potatoes?
As a versatile kitchen appliance, a meat mincer can undertake the task of ricing potatoes and many other veggies. In this way, you can control the texture of potatoes and avoid the excess release of gelatinized starches from simply smashed potatoes without ricing.
The grinding process of potatoes is similar to other veggies mentioned above. Also, you should pay attention to the power supply according to the specific motors. For small to medium machine models, the outputs from 400 to 800 watts are suitable. In the case of bigger models, the numbers may range from 800 to 1200 watts.
Can You Make Peanut Butter With A Meat Grinder?
It is totally possible, but you need to be more patient with the mincing process to get smooth peanut textures. Also, the finished product may stick on the plate and bother you with the cleaning process to make it oil-free.
The grinding process is as simple as you do with meat. First, get your peanuts ready in suitable batches, place them into the machine, and then grind until you see the desired texture. Don’t forget to insert a bowl under the output to collect the finished product.
What Can You Use If You Don’t Have A Meat Grinder?
Fortunately, there are various alternatives to get grounded meat when you don’t have a meat grinding tool in your kitchen. Below are some popular options that you can consider.
Option 1: Mince with a sharp knife
This is a traditional way to have ground meat when you don’t have any specialized equipment. It’s labor-intensive, but it works!
Here what you need is a sharp knife and a cutting board. First, cut the meat at a 45-degree angle into ¼ inch pieces. Next, slice them at the same angle but in the opposite direction. Finally, flip them over and chop at a 90-degree angle. Repeat the process until desired texture is achieved.
Option 2: Use a food processor (or a blender with high power)
Here the grinding processes are familiar: You chop the meat into proper sizes, add them to the processor or blender, and wait until desired thickness.
Option 3: Visit a butcher
Most local butchers come with one and valuable knowledge of ground meat. So you can definitely ask for their help and go home with your meat already for your recipes.
Conclusion
Using a meat-grinding machine offers a safe feeling for most users as they control the ingredients’ texture and avoid the risk of chemicals available in packaged products.
By the end of this article, we hope you now have a clear sense of the various uses of a meat grinder, thus be more comfortable with your cooking process and have excellent moments in your kitchen. Happy cooking!