Grind Your Own

In response to one of my recent Facebook rants (entreaties?), I received many requests for instructions on how to grind your own meat for burgers. The grind also works for meatballs, meatloaf -- whenever you use ground meat (beef, lamb, or pork -- though please note that I didn't grind my own goat for the previously mentioned goat loaf so I don't know if this method will work as well for goat meat, which tends to be stringier).

There are huge benefits to grinding your own, including: (1) you avoid this (details of mass ground meat production that are not for the weak of tummy): http://tinyurl.com/ydxv5ak; (2) you know exactly where your burgers are coming from; and (3) a freshly ground burger tastes better than you ever imagined a burger could taste. One note: I prefer grass-fed beef both for its taste and because ruminants are, well, ruminants. Plants are what cattle are designed to eat. Having said that, Niman Ranch puts out an acceptable ground beef from cattle that are finished on corn. Niman thinks the corn finished cattle taste better. I don't agree -- but I have eaten, and fed my family, Niman Ranch burgers from some of the enlightened fast-food burger joints around San Francisco.

Get your cuisinart out, fit it with the standard metal blade, and sharpen your cook's knife. For most ground beef needs, you are probably going to want to purchase a chuck roast or two, depending on how many burgers you are planning to cook. Some chefs also swear by brisket or bottom round but I've not tried those cuts for home grinding. A 3-lb. chuck roast is going to yield roughly 6-9 burgers, depending on how big you like them. I prefer a 1/3 lb. patty. Again, purchase "pastured grass-fed beef" (these are the key concepts) from producers you know and trust. If you don't know the producers in your area, ask your butcher where the meat came from. If he doesn't know, you need to ask the real butcher or find a new butcher. Also check with your local CSA to see who is sustainably raising cattle in the area.

If the chuck roast has quite a lot of fat, you may wish to trim some off before grinding. Be careful not to take all the fat off, though, because the fat is where the flavor is. I think 80% lean to 20% fat is about right, but it really is up to you and the state of your cholesterol. (Off the charts is the alleged 60/40 ratio of In N Out's Double Double burger.) With the home grind, just look for a relatively even distribution of fat throughout the meat. There is no call here to convert your kitchen to a science lab.

Now you've trimmed any fat you are going to trim and you are ready to grind. At this stage, you have two options. You can stick the whole cut of meat in the freezer for about 45 minutes and then cut it into roughly 2-3 inch chunks for the cuisinart. I prefer to cut the meat into chunks before the freezer visit because it cuts down on the time in the freezer. The objective in lightly freezing the meat is to ensure the meat doesn't liquefy during grinding. I find it useful to lay out a small bowl containing any spices or other flavorings I want to add to the ground meat (kosher salt and freshly ground pepper are my usual) and a chilled metal bowl large enough to mix the seasonings with your meat. If you are going directly from grind to grill, have a prep tray (I use one or two jelly roll pans lined with wax paper) ready to go: one pan for the patties and one for your buns and other condiments for the grill (olive oil or melted butter for brushing the buns, gypsy peppers and onions for grilling, slices of gruyere or other cheese for crowning the hot patty). Onions take a while to caramelize on the grill, so you may want to start them before the burgers. I always douse the onions with good but not fine olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. You also can jump start the onions in the microwave but it does make for a stiff smell in the kitchen. Check The Zuni Cafe cookbook for other great condiment options, such as quick zucchini pickles and pickled red onions.

Now, we grind. You need a light hand with your cuisinart. A few short hits on "Pulse" should do the trick but it pays to be careful here. Pop the top off and check that you are getting a suitable grind with even fat distribution. If you see any big chunks of gristle, pull out and discard. You may have to grind the meat in batches depending on the size of your cuisinart. I am using "cuisinart" generically for any food processor but the big C Cuisinart is the one I know. If you have another kind of food processor, this method should work but keep a closer eye on the process until you know how your machine works for this task. I imagine a professional Robot Coupe could present you with tartare soup in a heartbeat.

Place your ground meat in the chilled bowl and add your seasonings. You could add worcestershire sauce, adobo sauce, smoked minced onions -- the sky is the limit but keep in mind that you may want a control batch to determine if you are getting the right fat to lean ratio and the right grind. Mix the seasonings into the meat gingerly -- I use the 'claw' method (my very clean hand with fingers held rigidly apart and curved). After the mixing, scoop up the meat and gently pat into a ball. My hands are small, so a large handful for me results in about a 1/3 lb patty. The seasoned veterans at Nicky's in Chattanooga swear that you need to sling the ball of meat from hand to hand before shaping into a patty or else the patty will fall apart. So, I do the slinging thing because I am not one to argue with the ladies at Nicky's. Most of them have been slinging patties before I was born. Regardless of whether you choose to sling, place the ball onto the waxed paper of the patty tray and gently push down on the patty while pressing gently on the perimeter of the patty as you push so that your edges are nice and smooth.

Once you shape the patties, slap 'em on a medium-hot grill fired with hardwood charcoal. Be sure to oil the grate or the patty will stick. Try to flip only once but stop trying to flip if the patty sticks. Put the cheese on the patty after the flip. If you want medium rare, sling an inverted tinfoil pie plate on the burger to get the cheese properly melted. Serve immediately, passing the burger goodies at table and licking the juice off your elbow. Get the grind.