How To Grind Your Own Burger Meat
Learn how to grind your own burger meat! Making your own burger blend at home is incredibly simple and will elevate your hamburgers, meatballs, sausages (and more!) to the next level of yum! Simple tips and pro-tricks included; plus there's a different method for those of you who don't own a grinder. Fresh ground meats for all!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer (SEE NOTES)
- 1 Food Grinder Attachment (SEE NOTES)
Ingredients
- 2.5 Pounds Boneless Chuck Steak - COLD (See Notes)
- .75 Pounds Top Sirloin Steak - COLD (See Notes)
Instructions
- Prepare the grinder attachment: Place the meat grinder attachment in the freezer at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) in advance of using. I have found the 3 hour mark to be perfect. Line a baking sheet with freezer paper or plastic wrap for easy clean up. (SEE NOTES)
- Cut the steaks into cubes: Cut the steaks into roughly 1 ½’’ cubes. Spread the cubes of beef in an evenly distributed, single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the tray of beef in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. (SEE NOTES)
- While the beef is chilling, prepare a bowl to hold the ground beef: Fill a large bowl with ice and add a little bit of water. Insert a smaller bowl on top of the ice to catch the meat as it comes out of the grinder. (Why? THIS STEP IS IMPERATIVE for food safety. You need to keep your meat cold!)
- Attach the meat grinder, affixed with 3/8’’ plate, to your stand mixer. (If you have a different grinder, follow their provided instructions).
- Grind steaks: Grind meat by running it once through the grinder, with your make shift ‘double meat chiller’ placed underneath to catch your ground beef. Do not separate different cuts of beef when grinding, you want them mixed together.
- OPTIONAL: Switch to the ¼’’ plate and run the meat again through grinder attachment once. (I highly recommend running the meat through the grinder twice if you are making smashed burgers! For a regular burger this step is completely optional and depends on the texture of the burger desired.)
- Chill ground beef before using: Cover the bowl of ground beef and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill or store it until you are ready to use. The ground beef will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days or you can transfer ground beef to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
You don't have to use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Attachment to grind meat at home. You can also use a (hand-crank) manual grinder or stand-alone motorized grinder. And the food processor works as well! (See below for food processor instructions)
To grind meat using a food processor:
1. Follow Steps 2 and 3, you do not need to place the bowl of the food processor in the freezer.
2. Working in batches, pulse cubes of steak until finely chopped, about 20 pulses. After each batch, transfer the chopped meat to the ‘double meat chiller’. RECIPE NOTES:
1. Follow Steps 2 and 3, you do not need to place the bowl of the food processor in the freezer.
2. Working in batches, pulse cubes of steak until finely chopped, about 20 pulses. After each batch, transfer the chopped meat to the ‘double meat chiller’. RECIPE NOTES:
- Meat: You aren't limited to beef steaks here! You can choose your own ground meat adventure and use different cuts. Chicken, turkey, lamb (shoulder in particular), and pork (shoulder in particular) all grind well. Make sure you remove any skin before proceeding.
- COLD: You'll notice a theme here. Make sure everything you use is cold - cold meat, cold grinding plate, chilled bowl, etc. Not only is firm, cold meat easier to work with, it's also safer as far as food safety goes. Just don't leave the cubed meat in the freezer longer than 30 minutes, you want cold meat, not frozen meat.
- Steaks: There is no way to gauge the beef-to-fat ratio other than eye-balling your mix. If you want to be precise, ask your butcher for help. But, just look at the fat in your steaks. For a juicy, flavorful burger, look for about 25 percent fat. For a leaner burger, look for leaner, less fatty steaks.
- Steaks: If you want an even juicier burger, ask your butcher if he has beef trimmings available and add those to the mix!
- Grinding Steaks: When grinding the cubes of steak, do NOT separate the cuts of beef! You want to grind the steaks together.
- Forming burgers: When forming the burger meat into patties, take care to NOT overwork the meat! And, do NOT pack the meat together, you want to use a light touch! The slight separation of the meat will allow the juices to run through the patty to create a super juicy and moist burger!
- Indent burger patties: After you have formed the beef into patties, take your thumb and make a small indentation or well in the center of your patty. Since the burger patties will swell while they cook, the indentation will ensure that the burger patty holds its proper shape once cooked.
- Seasoning burgers: For the most flavorful burger, make sure you season the patties liberally on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- When grilling your burgers: DO NOT use a spatula to press down on the burger!! If you have used your finger to create an indentation, there will be no need to press down. Flattening the burger with a spatula causes the patty to lose all its moisture and juices resulting in a dry burger.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal Protein: 39g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 118mg Sodium: 123mg Potassium: 677mg Vitamin A: 10IU Calcium: 31mg Iron: 3.9mg