Why grind your own meat or poultry? Because it means you have total control over the ingredients, the type of cuts, and the meat’s provenance. It also means that you can avoid any unwanted fillers or bacterial contamination that may make its way into industrially prepared ground meat. The ingredients will taste much fresher when ground right before you want to cook them.
Tips
• Cut the meat or poultry into small, uniform cubes for even grinding.
• Chill the meat or poultry and the food processor blade in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, or long enough to firm up the ingredient, as the meat is prone to smearing if too warm.
• Pulsing will provide a more even grind. Always grind in batches to control the texture.
• For the appliance-free cook, meat can be ground with a knife. A cleaver is useful for this. Meat and poultry must be cold and the knife very sharp, but you will get very little smearing, resulting in a good structure and juice retention during cooking.