An Illustrated Tutorial on How to Grind Your Own Meat

Meat grinder
GMVozd / Getty Images
  • 01 of 08

    Cut Beef Chuck Into Cubes

    Cutting beef on board
    BRETT STEVENS / Getty Images

    For this tutorial on grinding meat, we're going to make hamburgers out of the fresh beef chuck, but you can grind pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, game meats, even buffalo.

    Beef chuck usually has about a 15 percent fat content, which is just about right. You could use sirloin, or a combination of sirloin and chuck would work, too. If you wanted to get really extravagant you could even grind your own Kobe beef burgers.

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  • 02 of 08

    Chill Cubes of Beef in Freezer for 30 Minutes

    Cubes of beef in bowl
    Danilo Alfaro

    Freezing the meat helps it hold its shape better and keeps it firm so that it goes through the grinder more easily. Also, starting with semi-frozen meat is preferable from a food safety standpoint.

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  • 03 of 08

    Freeze Grinding Plate and Other Cutting Parts

    Freeze Grinding Plate and Other Cutting Parts
    Danilo Alfaro

    We're using a KitchenAid stand mixer with the Food Grinder Attachment for this demo, but you can use a standalone motorized grinder, a manual (hand-crank) grinder or even a food processor.

    Put the blade, the grinding plate, and the rotating "grind worm" in the freezer along with the meat. Then assemble the grinder when you're ready to begin. If you plan to do a lot of grinding and you have room in the freezer, you can even store these parts in the freezer all the time.

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  • 04 of 08

    Place Meat and Other Ingredients in Hopper

    Place Meat and Other Ingredients in Hopper
    Danilo Alfaro

    If you're grinding a large amount of meat—like 2 to 3 pounds or more—make sure you keep it on ice to prevent bacteria growth. If you're grinding into a bowl, fill a larger bowl with ice, then nestle the smaller bowl into the ice to keep the finished product chilled.

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  • 05 of 08

    Turn Mixer On and Push Meat Into Grinder

    Turn Mixer On and Push Meat Into Grinder
    Danilo Alfaro

    Follow the instructions for your mixer as far as what setting or speed to use. With the KitchenAid, turn the mixer on to speed 4 and use the food pusher to press the meat into the hopper. You can also mix in raw garlic, onions, herbs, and any other ingredients. Don't add any salt yet, though. It's best to add that at the end so you can judge the flavor.

    Don't stick fingers, toes or any other body parts into the hopper. If you have long hair, it's a good idea to tie it back or stow it inside a hat while you're operating the grinder.

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  • 06 of 08

    The Finished Ground Beef

    The Finished Ground Beef
    Danilo Alfaro

    We ground 2½ pounds of beef chuck in about 10 minutes.

    Here's where you can season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as well as any wet ingredients you'd like to add. I like a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce in mine. A bit of fresh or prepared Dijon mustard can be nice, too.

    As far as tasting is concerned, some chefs will taste the raw meat to test the seasoning. You just ground it, so you know what's in it. Still, you could cook up a teaspoonful or so and taste that.

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  • 07 of 08

    Gently Form the Meat Into Patties

    Gently Form the Meat Into Patties
    Danilo Alfaro

    Gently shape the meat into balls—about 6 ounces each is about right—then flatten into patties. Don't pack the meat too tightly—you're not making snowballs here. Too much pressure will give you a tough burger. 

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  • 08 of 08

    Grill or Broil to Your Liking

    Ground meat patties on grill
    Danilo Alfaro

    Ground meats should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 F. Ground chicken or turkey should be cooked to 165 F no matter what. The nice thing about using a primal cut like beef chuck is that its fat content will keep the burgers nice and moist, even if you do choose to cook them to 165 F.