Kitchen Aid Meat Grinder

[htc]

I recieved a gift card to a local kitchen store for Xmas. I normally don't shop here because their prices are pretty high and I can find the same items cheaper elsewhere...anyways.

It was a toss up on what to get, a digital scale or an attatchment to my KA for the meat grinder. I ended up getting the grinder.

Does anyone out there have this? Do you like it? Is it worth your while and do you use it a lot? I got it because I thought that when meat goes on sale at my local natural store, I could buy it in bulk and take it home to grind. For example, ground dark turkey meat is regularly 2.99 at the store I shop at, and this week, I can get turkey drumsticks for .99 a pound.

Was thinking I would get a bunch of this and then use my new grinder, though not sure if it's worth all of the hassle.

Anyone who's used this attatchment, would love feedback (positive or negative).

Thanks!

 

[Michael in FtW]

I have one and I love it! I do the same thing ... when meat is on sale I buy a bunch and grind it at home. That way I can control the fat content and the grind. And, by buying meat on sale and grinding it myself I figure I save about $200 a year, or more (I live alone so that is the savings cooking for one).

It really isn't much of a hassle - and you can smile all the time thinking about the money you are saving.

 

[choclatechef]

ITA. I have a vintage cast aluminum KA meat grinder.

IMHO it is far better quality than the plastic new ones.

 

[subfuscpersona]

Like c-chef I have the older KA grinder attachment and like M. I bought it so I could save $ and control fat content.

Besides beef, I also use it to grind pork, which I can't find ground in my local supermarket.

 

[htc]

I just used the meat grinder for the first time! It was pretty cool. I deboned chick thighs and ground it up.

How many times do you guys run your chicken through the grinder? I did mine twice, not sure if this is too much or not, didn't look like it...

 

[Audeo]

I adore mine! And I use it often, probably three or four times a month when I find meats on sale or feel the compulsion to make some good Italian sausage. And like the others, I derive a great deal of pleasure controlling what we eat around here, moreover the cost! You can save a fortune in doing things yourself and not just in terms of money.

htc, I'm of the belief that the texture of a grind depends upon its purpose. When grinding meat for chili or for ground beef, I only run the meat through once. But when grinding turkey or chicken, I repeat the grind. Perhaps that's not only because of the desired difference in textures, but also due to the nature of poultry meat. I have also experimented with regrinding sausage after the seasonings have been incorporated. That definately alters the strength of the seasonings, but didn't change the final texture of the sausage itself.

Something to experiment with...

 

[htc]

Audeo, when regrinding the sausage, does it alter the flavor by making the seasonings lighter or does it magnify the taste?

I basically want the ground meat to look like th packages in the store. When I sent the chicken through once it didn't look like that yet, so sent it through again.

What about pork? I would think you would send it twice as well...?

 

[Audeo]

htc, in some cases, I found the flavor of the seasonings to be more pronounced...stronger, especially when using hot pepper seasonings. The texture was smoother (if you will) in poultry and the seasonings (I think) were more evenly distributed.

 

[kitchenelf]

One way I use my meat grinder attachement is for making gazpacho - you can either have big chunks or small chunks - at the very end of grinding all the veggies run a piece of bread through it to get out the rest - the bread does not hurt the recipe.

When I get a whole beef tenderloin there is a small strip running along the side (roundish) - I pull this off, grind it, use it for hamburger - really good!!