Grind Your Own Meat…..

Like most people, I use a good amount of ground meats in my cooking.  When I make gyros I use part lean ground beef, ground turkey, and ground lamb.  I have yet to find a very lean commercially ground lamb.  I thought why not buy a boneless leg of lamb, trim it, cut it into 1″ cubes, and grind it myself! 

I was given this fabulous Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment by my Mom.  Today I used it for the first time.  One word: FABULOUS!  This attachment was really simple to use, the attachment goes on the mixer in less than a minute!  The process is a little slow, but well worth the wait.  Once the lamb was ground there was no comparison as to how very lean it looked compared to the pre-ground lamb I’ve purchased in the past.  If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can also use the food processor, it works great too.  Simply put the 1″ cubes of lean meat in the food processor with the blade attachment.  Pulse several times until you have an evenly ground consistency.  Very easy.

I got to thinking about all the things I can make with my grinder, or even my food processor for that matter.  Who doesn’t love Italian sausage?  It’s very flavorful but loaded with saturated fat.  Whole Foods makes a fantastic Italian chicken sausage but it’s $6.99/lb!  After enjoying their version, I made my own chicken sausage with boneless, skinless and trimmed chicken thighs….most excellent!  Buy lean roasts when they’re on sale and enjoy lean and delicious ground beef.  Great for homemade meatballs and meatloaf…… 

Well, I think  I’ve found my next inspiration.  As our economy continues to be less wallet friendly,  I’m going to be working on recipes for meats we can grind in our own kitchens.  Inexpensive,  lean, and healthy meats that will go a long way and will stretch your food dollars.  

Have a great evening!

Angie