How to Grind Your Own Beef For Hamburger Meat

Chef Danielle Miele , On January 21, 2023

How to Grind Your Own Beef For Hamburger Meat

Let’s face it, finding lean cuts of ground meat at the grocery store is difficult. Especially if you are watching your weight or trying to eat healthier. Grinding your own meat for hamburger patty or to prepare beef lasagna offers another way to ensure you are eating quality protein cuts. In this article you will learn of an easy way to grind your own beef at home using a free-standing meat grinder or use the grinding attachments on your food processor or standing mixer.

What Beef to Look For When Choosing Your Meat to Grind

Chuck roast is the usual go to meat ground for patties at your butcher. Do not use fine dining meat cuts. Cuts of beef like chuck roast contain a meat to fat ratio of 80%/20%, which is the optimal amount of fat that will keep your burger juicy and full flavored. Other possible meat cuts for ground meat include:

• Top rounds

• Bottom rounds

• Chuck roast

• Sirloin roast

• Brisket

• Shoulder

You can also do a blend adding different cuts like brisket to your chuck roast ground meat. When you look at the beef in its packaged form, it should be a bright red without any brown coloring, and if freshly packaged, there won’t be much blood pooled under the meat within the package itself.

Equipment Needed for Grinding Your Own Meat:

Kitchen Equipment Needed to Grind Meat

• Meat grinder or food processor, standing mixer with meat grinding attachments.

• Chef’s knife, paring knife and cutting board.

• Mixing bowls or containers.

Step-by-Step Video Instructions for Grinding Your Own Meat

Step-by-Step Written Instructions for Grinding Your Own Meat:

1. Choose what meat cuts you will be grinding (e.g. chuck roast, brisket, or a blend of the two). Then, trim to remove extra fat or silver skin.

   

   Before Grinding Your Meat Cut and Trim Fat Chunks

2. Cut your meat selection into 1 in chunks and freeze for up to 30 minutes. This will make the meat easier to grind.

3. Select your grinding plates and be sure to freeze them, and the cutting blade, with the meat. Colder tools makes grinding the meat easier.

   

   Before Grinding Your Meat Cube Your Meat

4. Assemble your grinder, including the frozen blade and grinder plate.

5. Place the frozen cubed meat in the hopper, or plate atop the grinder used for holding the meat.

   

   Place Cubed Meat in Hopper and Push Through to Grind Meat

6. Push the meat through the grinder using the food pusher. Never use your hands.

7. Once you’ve finished grinding your meat, turn the machine off and remove the grinding attachment. Clean the hopper, grinder plates, and blades thoroughly in warm, soapy water after every use to ensure that your machine stays clean.

   

   Collect Ground Meat in Food Containers

Notes about grinding your own meat for hamburgers

We are grinding meat using leftover cuts of beef brisket and pork shoulder here. Both contain excellent marbling, but again, we’ve cut off a good amount of extra fat and left just enough to form a juicy burger patty or meat loaf recipe.

Chef Danielle Miele

Chef Miele started in the industry as a chef's assistant back in the early 1990s at a New England style seafood shack. After several stints in the industry she earned a formal chef's degree with honors from Le Cordon Bleu. When she is not cooking for her husband and teenage son, she enjoys researching techniques and ingredients from different cultures, with a focus on enhanced flavor and nutrition.