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 take your hamburgers to the next level! Easy tips and tricks included, plus a different method for those of you who don't own a grinder!
Servings: 8 burgers
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
- 2.5 Pounds Boneless Chuck Steak (See Notes)
- .75 Pounds Top Sirloin Steak (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.
- Cut the steaks: Cut the steaks into roughly 1 ½’’ cubes. Spread the cubes of beef in an evenly distributed, single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place the tray of beef in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- 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. THIS STEP IS IMPERATIVE. 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
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:
- 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