Good Meat Grinder

[Buffalobob]

I need some advice on what good meat grinder to buy. I don't mind if it is manual or electric. I really don't want to pay more than $100. Mainly I would make hamburger out of some of the tougher and stringier pieces of deer and elk.

[Jimm]

Jim C.

I think you will mind if it is manual or electric [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I have both . The manual one is displayed as an antique [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] The cheap electric one ( 100 $ ) is at my house . The expensive stainless 1 hp version is at my oldests sons [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

The cheap one will do good if you are only wanting to do small batches at a time. The 1 hp model is essential if you want to do a whole deer at once.

The 100 dollar unit is probably the way to go for your needs . Just remember that you have to stop every so often and remove the connective tissue /muscle sheaths from the grinder head as it will build up .

One other option that my brothe r used is to stalk the used restaurant / butcher shop equipment dealers till he found a used commercial unit at a price he liked ( dang thing weighs 50 lbs .)

There is on other option that is even simpler , just cook the less quality cuts of game in a crockpot . Start in the morning and when you get home that evening there will be nothing left in the pot but tender eating.

I am sure others here are acquainted with this method [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Got to go , the smoker is smelling just right . [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Jim B

[sniper2]

I would recommend a good shopping on the net have seen some great prices at different sites...

[windwalker1]

Buffalo, let me first say Thank you for the wonderful recounts of your escapades this fall. It was really great reading, and I looked forward to each chapter [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. Now as to grinding meat, I make alot of sausage, salami and snack sticks every year. I purchased my grinder and all of my seasonings and casings from WWW. LEM Products.com, they are a very good outfit to do business with. their prices are good and they are quick to deliver. I would recommend that you get an electric of at least 3/4 hp. Trying to hand grind more than about 10lbs of meat at a time will give a fella cramps [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. It seems like a pretty big purchase, but I figure I paid for mine in about three years, just by not having to pay to get my salami made commercially. Hope this helps.
Mark

[Buffalobob]

Thanks Jim and Mark

I went and got an electric LEM from Bass Pro. It was on sale. Both of you were right. I would have thrown a manual one in the recyle bin. Even with the electric one it takes a long time to grind 15# of meat into Italian Sausage.

Good advice on cleaning the head frequently. If you hadn't said something I would not have known what was happening. Even then, it was like Paris Hilton in "the Simple Life" if you saw that episode. There was blood and meat splatters from one end of the kitchen to the other. One third of the time was preparing the meat, one third grinding and mixing and one third cleaning the kitchen.

Somewhere along the road of life I had forgotten what the sausage caseing comes from [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[windwalker1]

One other item you probably already know but worth mentioning is to freeze your meat to about 1/2 or more frozen, before you grind. It really cuts better, and it's not so juicy [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] so it doesn't shoot or splatter in such a improved cylinder pattern [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Good grinding to you
Mark

[Jimm]

WW ,

That is a very good tip on the partly frozen thing . It really speeds up the job........Bob [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I just finished some breakfast sausage made with some of the antelope that BB and the Brown and White Gang massacred across half the state of Wyoming . [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] I used rubbed sage , salt , black pepper and crushed red pepper . Uuuuummmm! but then again you know me , so emotional and all [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]