Reddit mentions: The best meat & poultry tools

ingredients (precisely)

for double crust :

3 cups flour

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter


-


for filling (imprecisely)

2 - 3lbs ground pork

1 cup meat broth, poultry preferred.

1/2 cup ale

1 cup potatoes diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced onion

cooking oil

seasonings and spices

1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs

-


This started with wanting to find something to do with a pork loin that had sat in the freezer for 3 months. It is the first attempt at my own variation of Pork Pie based on the recipe in the Game of Thrones cookbook - A Feast of Ice and Fire.


My first step of preparation as usual, occurred days before. On the Friday evening I took the ~4 lbs of pork loin from the freezer to the fridge adding lime salt, basil salt, and pepper. It probably would have been ready to go for Saturday's dinner, but worked fine for Sunday's.


This recipe would certainly work just as well with already ground pork, or sausage meat. But this pork in-particular was freshly ground by my prize $2 garage-sale-aquired meat-grinder (this style) that had been in my freezer for as long in the pork. A frozen meat-grinder (and even slightly frozen meat) supposedly makes for easier operation.


The loin was cut into long strips, and it retrospect it would've been well-advised to cut away the band of fatty connective tissue on the loin and only let the leanest meat through the grinder. This probably would have prevented the clogged grinder that was incurred. Once you have about a dinner plates worth of pork ground up, season it as you wish. I used salt, pepper, Italian breadcrumbs, Greek herb blend, a sprinkle of curry powder, and quite a lot of cayenne powder.


Set the pork aside. If possible, delegate the job of making the crust to a trusty assistant.


This crust is based on the Medieval Pastry Dough recipe from the Game of Thrones cookbook A Feast of Ice and Fire which calls for saffron, which I didn't have at my disposal.


Thank you to Brett, my sexy assistant, who was nice enough to mix, knead, and form the crust.


The recipe recommends first mixing the butter and flour by hand, then mixing the egg yolks and water, adding water as needed until dough is formed. The dough should then be split and rolled out to fit the shape of your pie cooking vessel, then pre-baked in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.


I used a circular glass casserole dish, but any ceramic dish would likely be fine. A cast iron pan might work well-enough, albeit at a lower temperature.


While the crust is pre-baking, cut and rinse your potatoes and carrots and boil them for 10 minutes. Bring a pan to medium-high heat, add a cooking oil (sunflower, grapeseed, peanut), add chopped onions and celery. Coat the onion and celery with additional seasonings, spices, rosemary, parsley, garlic, and/or breadcrumbs. Occasionally deglaze the pan with ale and broth.


Drain your boiled veggies, mix them with the contents of the pan. Add more broth and breadcrumbs to achieve desired consistency. My advice here is to place the veggie mixture back into the pot used to boil the potatoes and carrots, cover and put on a low heat.


Clean, reheat, and oil your pan. Brown the pork, stirring frequently. Deglaze. Add the veggies, mix, and
simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a large bowl stirring occasionally to cool.


The rest is pretty straight-forward. Add the filling to the crusts, bake at 350 for an hour, carve it up, and enjoy.

Just thought I'd update -- I went with the Weston and made my first batch yesterday -- about 5 pounds totaling about 18 links. This was the first time I was able to one man a stuffing operation. Small learning curve for coordination, but manageable. Didn't use the fast speed gear!

I actually had the Weston in my "maybe" list before you mentioned it but one of the reasons I was turned off of it was because Amazon's thumbnail shows it in Orange and Stainless. I wanted something that's impressive to look at; not something that looks like it came from a hunter's garage in the back country. But I got it and was pleased to see they're shipping them as Black and Chrome/stainless. Much better and exactly what I had hoped for.

One of the reviews said there was a film inside the canister that had to be scrubbed vigorously. I was met witht he same stuff. I assume it was some sort of lubricant that dried out while it sat on a shelf, but so far, cleaning that thing for half an hour, vigorously, is my only con. Well, that, and the fact that's it's much larger than I anticipated. But that's also a good thing!

Anyways, thanks for the recommendation. It worked out great.

And one last thing -- Ruhlman's recipe for Sweet Italian sausage is fantastic (found in Charcuterie). I do recommend!

Thank you for the reply. What's the name of the full-size papaya on a dwarf tree? I grabbed a papaya plant with two other little siblings attached to it for $5 from a Thai lady in August and got them through winter here (North Florida) and just recently planted them in the ground about a month ago. At the time of my purchase I didn't know anything about papayas but then read about the different flower types and that they don't transplant very well. I'm noticing two of the three plants haven't established a strong root zone and wobble pretty easily once I transplanted them so I can see why they say they don't transplant well, and I can see from your comment that this has probably happened to you as well. Hopefully they'll make it through, but if not I'll have learned my lesson and will be ready to try some of your techniques for next spring (starting them in the fall for a spring transplant).

I'm looking for the large size papayas as my wife loves to use them green for papaya salads ("som tam", she's from Thailand), but don't have a ton of yard space, so if you can recommend any dwarfs that grow well for you I'm all ears.

Regarding the fabric pots, do you think the roots will penetrate through these fabric pots? I use these a bunch for other plants and I'd be open to just throwing them into the ground come spring next year if that means they'll have a better chance of surviving transplant. I just don't know if the roots can penetrate these well enough or not. I guess I could see if any of my current potted plants in these have been able to establish roots on the bottom side successfully or not. If not, I have a meat tenderizer (this guy) that could probably make some pretty decent holes! haha.

looks great!

spices look fine though i'd probably grind up the mustard/caraway since they are annoying to chew through. also a little more meat/little less fat. I like 80/20 for smoked sausage. note that the cure in the recipe isnt "needed" but it does keep the sausages nice and pink when cooked, offers a slightly different texture, and makes them shelf stable for days.

try 1 tsp of salt or even better weigh the meat/salt and try to shoot for 8 grams of salt per pound of meat. include the cure in this since it's 90-94% salt already.

the kitchenaid stuffer is terrible try to get something like http://www.amazon.com/LEM-Products-Stainless-Vertical-Sausage/dp/B000SQDTRC it will last a long time and your end product will be 10x better

as for the actual stuffing it was a good first attempt! you likely had a blowout twisting that sausage in the middle because it was slightly overstuffed.. what you can do if you feel it happening again is try to squeeze the meat up through the casing like toothpaste so you can have enough room to safely twist. or don't and enjoy another meatball!

and try some hog casings! I find 32/34 casings work the best for the kitchen aid since the stuffing tube is a little big and likes to grip the casings.

good luck

"...a sausage patty made from the ground sausage she bought..."

Buying ground sausage? Who do you think I am--Lorenzo de Medici?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLpl897UOkE

Seriously, though--making sausage yourself can be a lot of fun, super cheap, and is something you can make a lot of and freeze for later use. Even better if you don't have to go through the additional step of putting it into links.

The two main ingredients are pork shoulder and fat (which you'll probably want to get from the belly). Shoulder is currently $1.29/lb at the supermarket near me, and you can find great deals on belly at an Asian (super)market.

If you don't have the attachment for the stand mixer (or a stand mixer itself), you can still get a quality meat grinder for just over $20 (many of the parts are even dishwasher safe): http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grinder-Mincer-Pasta-Maker/dp/B0002I5QHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374167109&sr=8-1&keywords=meat+grinder

(sidenote: having a meat grinder on hand is a great way to avoid meat spoilage--take that chuck roast and turn it into top-quality hamburger meat in a flash)

Plus, you'll be able to try all sorts of interesting herb and spice combinations, which is always Good Eats... err, Frugal living.

If you want to take your shit to the next level, buy a metal hand crank or power meat grinder and start doing your own blends.

Here is a decent one that costs 22 bucks.

Here is the one I use; it can do a lot more than just grind meat - i make sausages with it as well.

My blend: whole chuck, shortrib (or oxtail if you can find it, i like it better, but it's harder to find in quantity), and point brisket, (i do equal parts of each - remember to account for bone weight when buying) and get your grind on. Freeze all metal parts for at least an hour prior to grinding and all meat should be WELL chilled beforehand too. Do a coarse grind. Also get yourself some beef bones. Roast the bones to get marrow out, chill it and mix the marrow in with your ground meat. Finally I include a little red miso paste. Only a little.

This mixture makes the best burgers I or anyone who has eaten them has ever had. Best of all, it makes both smash burgers and big burgers.

Use ice cream scoops to measure your burger patties, and buy 3x3 parchment squares to separate them.

You can make as many as you want, and they freeze well.

Best choice is to get a meat grinder. You can get them pretty cheap, or pretty expensive, but the main differences between the prices are if it is electric/manual, the quality of the build (metal hand grinders will almost always beat cheap electric grinders), and amount of meat you can grind at a time.

By the way, the one I marked as expensive is by no means the upper limit of grinders. I use a grinder that came out of the meat section in a grocery store and it would have cost me $700+. But I grind a lot of meat during deer season and it can take anything I throw at it.

You can grind meat by hand or using a food processor/blender, but I haven't tried it so I can't recommend it.
Here's an article on how to do it by hand: http://www.steakeat.com/grind-beef.html

Edit: What's the recipe? I love offal and am always interested in new ways to make it.

If you're just doing a few pounds every once in a while, this is a good option:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OBXZ9EY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_9kHFzbGNBJ1JK

It's a scaled down version of the cast iron press my family uses to do our 250lbs per year.

Meat Grinder isn't really necessary, I'd take a look at how this guy grinds his meat if you have a food processor already, it's not great for really large quantities, but it's good for a few lbs every now and again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=basFyoMSjds
He says beef, but I've done pork and lamb like this as well.

Edit: forgot to mention mixing, don't bother buying a mixer, a good bowl and your hands in some gloves (or just washed) will do just fine.

Also, if you have a local butcher shop, they should have casings for you to buy. Call me old fashioned but synthetic casings just seem gross to me, to make a good kielbasa or hotlink, pig casings are best, if you want breakfast sausage or little smokey links, lamb casings are good for that.

I like this idea, and had this idea myself a while ago, but haven't tried it yet. I actually like the taste of liver, but I don't like the texture of un-breaded liver.

I have a meat grinder that I bought for pretty cheap. It's just plastic, but it does well. Looks like Amazon no longer carries it.

Another idea for people like me who just dislike the slippery texture, crunchy ground-up bacon might make a good breading. Whether that would actually work, I don't know, but it's worth trying.

Thank you for the video!

Yeah we were considering getting a KA since you can get the attachments, but getting them together is quite expensive, which is why I opted for this, it works pretty great and it's really easy to clean and store, the mixer weren't a priority for us anyways so it worked out.

My goto is marinade. I have an awesome Teriyaki marinade a friend passed on to me. In a pinch, I just use Italian dressing, prefer the "Zesty" or (my favorite Wishbone Brand "Robusto Italian Dressing". Be sure to poke meat with a fork or use a tenderizer beforehand to let the marinade penetrate deeper and, well, quite frankly cheaper cuts of meat tend to be tough and this helps a bunch. You might want to invest in a good tenderizer. Got mine here: http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420396666&sr=8-1&keywords=meat+tenderizer. Yes, it's a bit pricey but with it, you can always buy cheap cuts of meat like steaks and still get good results. Plus, if you take care of it, I get the impression it will be the last one you ever have to buy.

yeah I would definitely try it if nothing works. It's a pain in the butt to prep the food a bit because you have to make sure he/she gets all of the nutrients.

what I do is have a staple of chicken and some veggies (celery/carrots/squash) and then tues/thurs/sat I add gizzards, necks, hearts etc and mon/wed/fri/sun I add tripe and/or other things.

if you try it don't be surprised if their stool gets a bit weird for a week or two, but then it goes away.

just read up on different raw food diets and make sure you get a mix of enough things so he/she doesn't suffer from any sort of deficiency.

To make it really simple, I recommend a meat grinder like this and then just toss all of the stuff in there and make patties to toss in the fridge.

also, look up your local butcher shop and swing by on thursday/friday. Typically they prep the meat for sale on weekends on Thursday/Friday so they have tons of leftovers that they don't typically sell and they toss out. I used to get bags and bags (3-5lbs each time) of meat that you can just grind up and it works great.

Your basic toolbox is going to be salt (assuming you don't have a sodium restriction), stevia/sucralose and lemon juice/vinegar. Any of the flavor profiles you might want to apply to the food you can eat will need them and thankfully, they will fit into your diet.

Saltiness, sweetness and acidity perpetuate flavor so having them as a basis for your work will be necessary. As an example, some acidity will help lift fruit flavors, while not necessarily making the food acidic.

If you want to exaggerate the profiles of the foods you can eat, there are consumer level offerings of food flavors, like ones sold here:

https://www.diy-ejuice.com/Real-Flavors-s/1915.htm

These are cut from industry offerings, so they will be easier for you to work with. I would also look at spices and spice oils as well. I would invest in a vacuum tumbler and a Jaccard for getting that flavor into your meat and seafood most effectively:

https://www.amazon.com/STX-International-STX-1000-CE-Vegetable-Tenderizer/dp/B0115CGX4I

https://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/

These work amazingly well. Jaccard the meat first, make a brine of flavor, seasonings and other ingredients and tumble them with your protein.

You can never go wrong with a thermometer, but if you're looking for some other suggestions.

Aaron Franklin's Meat Smoking Manifesto it's a great read for experienced and amateur smokers.

A nice slicing knife like this, it's nice to have and they don't typically come with knife sets.

An injector to take his meats to the next level.

Also - I had a quick look on Amazon and this seems to be your best deal! Best reviews for cheapest price! XD I like helping...

This is the one I have, works like a charm for the batches I usually do (5-10 lbs for each flavor). It'll put a smile in your face first time you use it. I got smooth sausage links in 10 mins that were taking over an hour with the grinder stuffing insert. Highly recommended. I also got this "cake press" to push the farce remaining in the main one after a batch. It's a joke in comparison but if I was coming from my first days of using the grinder to stuff, I'd be delighted. Finally I have this funnel for blood sausages, I don't use it anymore as my technique improved and I can use the piston with liquids without creating a mess, but it would also have been better and faster than the grinder stuffer.

That reservoir is for your clutch. It uses brake fluid (should say on the cap, here in the US we use DOT 3 rated fluid) and it is easy to change it. Just open the bleeder valve on the clutch slave cylinder and fill the reservoir as it gets to the bottom. Don't let it empty out completely. Once you have clean fluid dripping out the bleeder valve you close it and top off the reservoir.

Your radiator is turning brown and that is usually the sign that it will fail soon. Better to be safe and replace it now instead of when it blows out on the highway.

The power steering fluid doesn't look too bad, honestly. The easiest way to change it is suction out the old fluid (a turkey baster works great), put in new fluid, run the engine and turn the wheels from side to side completely, then suction it out and do it again. Usually 3 times will clean most of it out.

This recipe is not great. I tried it just to see.

1st, use fajita marinade. Very easy to find. and there are lots of great options.

2nd, the slow cooked flank steak is "meh" in the fajitas. It is much, much better to tenderize the flank steak the pan sear it or grill it.

Also, the texture of the vegetables is soft and mushy, as I expected it would be due to the slow cooked method. but is really ruins the whole "fajita vibe"

I will not be waiting time, money, and ingredients on this method again.
For anyone reading this, I just bought the best tool ever for tenderizing tough meats. This Jaccard tenderizer is absolutely the BOMB! It makes tough brisket and flank steak almost as tender as a good Ribeye.
https://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-Simply-Better-Tenderizer-Stainless/dp/B000A3G0F6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492098174&sr=8-2&keywords=jaccard

Marinades do not penetrate too far so one easy technique is to slice the meat to create flaps to increase the surface area for the marinade.

You cannot run a current through a piece of meat and have the current 'magically' drag marinades along for the ride. Salt however does tend to bring flavors along with osmotic pressure. So creating a "Brine-aid" with lots of salt tends to increase the marinade penetration.

Americas Test Kitchen does equipment reviews and they had one silly device that claimed it would marinade meat in an hour and it would taste like it had marinaded over night. To their surprise - it worked. It was basically a rock-tumbler. You insert meat & marinade, let it gently spin. The mechanical action seems to act like squeezing a sponge under water to increase absorption.

https://www.amazon.com/STX-International-STX-1000-CE-Vegetable-Tenderizer/dp/B0115CGX4I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504312186&sr=8-1&keywords=marinade+machine

Sure, all the time. You don't need an electric grinder at all, just an old fashioned hand-crank one will work fine. We do 15-20# at a time and still use a manual grinder after 20+ years...we'll usually run the meat through twice with different plates to get the grind we want. They are often found at thrifts but are also available new. A stuffer of some kind makes it much easier, but you can also get stuffing tubes for the grinder.

Once you have the gear you just need a recipe. We generally use a mix of pork (ground from whole loins, cheap at about $1.75/lb) and wild game, but you can mix whatever you want. We've made dozens of different kinds of links, brats, and hotdogs over the years. It's a fun family activity we often do during the holidays, then freeze the results for use all spring/summer.

If you have a Kitchenaid stand mixer - the meat grinder attachment is AMAZING if you are starting out (I doubt you are going to make 25lb batches, seriously). Others here I read disagree with the kitchenaid, but I make usually 10lb batches and have had no issues. My husband has killed 2 dedicated meat grinders, his friends have killed theirs, but the kitchenaid still going strong and we all use it for our meat grinding. The stuffer sucks though, you'll want something else.

Stuffer - get something like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SQDTRC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 it is really easy to use, can be used solo, very little effort needed to make sausage.

Our last stuffer was a bent fat tube you pressed a lever down on and it took 1 person to hold the machine, another to push (and use all their weight on) and another to feed the sausage. It was horrible.

1 big tip I gotta say is sous vide cooking sausage is the best. That is the only way I'll cook sausage now as the flavor comes out great. edit: clarity

A Jaccard meat tenderizer. This kitchen gadget will turn any cut of meat into tender wonderfulness, fast & easy, by basically using a small handle with 45 spring-loaded teenie little knives to punch zillions of holes into the meat. It also allows for marinades to get much penetration, much faster. Best kitchen gadget I ever bought, bar none.

I like this model because it's easy to pop out the blade assembly to clean it.

Happy Zambambo!

How fun!! I hope you have an incredible birthday!

I would love this because I'd be able to make my own pasta and sausage!!

Thanks for the contest!

frankfurters are usually sheep, yes.

That westin will be way better than stuffing with the kitchen aid, and I have one but no longer use it because I upgraded to this which super awesome but not lower in price.

Recipe appears to have worked out great! Mixed the sausage well so the texture is far better than the last batch, and I used a new stuffer that was way better than a kitchenaid attachment.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000SQDTRC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1381381881&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Ruhlman's Charcuterie is indispensible.

I'd also recommend Fatted Calf's In the Charcuterie.

Prague Powder. Basic pink curing salt.

Sausage stuffers can run $100-200, but the old fashioned type still works great for $35. Same goes for meat grinders. There are expensive electric grinders, but a decent manual grinder works just fine for $25. Of course, if he owns a Kitchenaid mixer, you can just get the grinding and stuffing attachments for that.

How about a sausage stuffer? Making sausage is a lot of fun, and since he enjoys smoking, he'll be able to make some amazing smoked sausages.

I have this one, and it works really, really well.

https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Sausage-Vertical-Stainless-STUFR-V003/dp/B00OBXZ9EY

Although it's a bit of an initial investment, if you're looking into saving a lot in the long run on ground meats, a meat grinder has saved me and my husband literally hundreds of dollars. We buy whole turkeys, chickens, pork shoulders, etc. when they are on sale (we only buy when they are <$1/lb), chop off the pieces we want to cook whole, and then grind the rest of it up. The bones and tendons go to our cats (free cat food!) and the rest goes towards sauces, nachos, taco meat, whatever. here is a link to an electric one with good reviews on amazon that costs $58. They have plenty more on there for cheaper if you want to hand grind. We just use the kitchenaid stand mixer attachment though.

Here are a couple of tips I would suggest to mellow the meat out as well:

1. Get a Jaccard tenderizer. Worth it's weight in gold. It has 45 little knives that you use to tenderize the meat, and it works very well.
   
   
2. After using the Jaccard, sprinkle on tenderizer powder. You can usually buy it in smaller shakers at the grocery store in the spice aisle.
   
   We cut the meat into the sizes we want to cook it, Jaccard it, then sprinkle with the tenderizer. Then, we put it back in a bag in the fridge for a bit. That way, it isn't so tough when you cook it. Also, we like to marinate deer meat in Italian dressing. Tastes great.

The riced cauliflower may be more expensive than ricing it yourself, but:

• I throw away the stalk and other non-floret portions of fresh cauliflower
  
• Riced cauliflower tastes better than fresh riced cauliflower
  
• Frozen riced cauliflower is more convenient and a lot easier to portion out
  
• Too much of my fresh cauliflower gets thrown out because the smell, taste, and texture get funky after a few days
  
• Freezing it myself doesn't help, as both the texture and taste are unpleasant after it's cooked
  
  Using sale prices here in Phoenix:
  
  
• Fresh cauliflower (stalk and all) = $0.99/pound = $0.06 per ounce
  
• Frozen cauliflower florets = $1/12-oz = $0.08 per ounce
  
• Frozen Riced Cauliflower = $2.19/12-oz = $0.18 per ounce
  
  So I think the most cost-effective form of cauliflower is the frozen florets, at least for cooking. I used a bag of frozen florets the other night when I made soup. This chopped it up very quickly into smaller pieces after cooking just the cauliflower.
  

Hamburger meat chopper. Saves so much time when I do hamburger and ground sausage. I also let the kids help me cook and this allows them to help without making a mess and they do a much better job than when they would use a regular spatula.

Good Cook 25739 Touch High-Temp Hamburger Meat Chopper
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TTZGVSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_js2wDb7H9ZZRF

I own a set of these . Same concept sorta.

They are awesome for pulling roasts or whole chicken out of a crockpot!

They are also pretty handy for shredding meat for pulled (chicken/pork) bbq sandwiches or enchiladas.

We bought them after my SO dropped a huge pork roast (coming out of the crockpot) using normal cooking forks... it exploded all over the floor. (fun night when you are feeding 8 kids...)

This hamburger chopper thingy is THE BEST thing for cooking any kind of ground meat. I love it.

For your purpose it is easy to find a grinder below $100. #8 or #5 (size of the tube) should be fine e.g.. You can get a good stuffer for $150. It will make your life much easier.

I've been meaning to get a pasta maker/meat grinder thing.

Making the dough is easy time, but I can't roll it or do anything with it that looks good (tastes good, though).

They make special tenderizers for that purpose, things like this, I've got one and it's awesome.

Thanks. I got the Norpro one a while ago and while it works well enough for small batches of meat, its an ass-ache for anything more than a pound or two.

This is the one that I have, just with Norpro branding. I tried to stick to this one for a few years, but honestly, it sucks. The other issue with the norpro is that to do veggies like carrots or beets (which I've seen the Krups handle effortlessly), the hand grinder requires them to be cut up into tiny chunks, which again is very tedious.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX0ENHE?psc=1

This is a basic one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0046AKIA2/ref=s9_zwish_hm_bFgBL_g79_i8
You want to find something heavier, not plastic as a rule. Cast iron is usually a good bet to last longer.
Here is a higher end hand cranked model:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002L84GJU/ref=s9_zwish_hm_bFgBL_g200_i2

Here is a nice looking counter top electric grinder:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PG4VGFS/ref=s9_newr_hm_bFgBL_g79_i7

Just for a place to start. Basicly avoid plastic stuff when it comes to kitchen appliances. Just my opinion but it is an educated one. Hope this helps.

No soup for you! I like mine on the charcoal grill, well done with hickory smoke chips and a-1 along with potatoes on the grill- with a-1 sauce and butter with sour cream! dinner with whoever would show up from the smell of the grill LOL - true story, was grilling once and a jogger stops and says mmm steak- got any extra there? :D

http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/

and

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

The way I've always done it is to hit the meat with a meat tenderizing tool like this then soak it overnight in buttermilk. The buttermilk is more for removing the gamey taste from the meat, but I like to think that it helps tenderize it too.

You won't go wrong with something like these: http://www.amazon.com/Weston-Heavy-Manual-Tinned-Grinder/dp/B000BQSW44/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1346344075&sr=1-4

Probably best place to search is in an old auction house or something.

bought one of these tenderizers with puncturing blades in it and it's awesome for flattening and softening white meat breasts. Makes the cooking time shorter and texture less chewy. White meat boneless chicken is almost always too tough no matter which way you cook it. With that? Awesome.

[This one](http://www.Norpro.com/ Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster with Injector and Cleaning Brush https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CFTOE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qbBuDbZYKZTW2) is great.

I also use the small tip when taking preboil refractometer readings. Anecdotally it helps me get more consistent preboil readings. My theory is the higher sample volume helps combat the stratification of the pre boil wort.

Getting a dedicated stuffer makes a world of difference in the quality of your product, and the ease of making the product.

This meat grinder is on sale right now, and while it runs a bit loud, it is a quality product.

Lem 5lb stuffer is a little on sale as well.

Get both, and you're sitting around the 300$ budget mark!

This was what I was hoping. I've wanted to buy a sausage stuffer for so long now, and this is some definite incentive. Any recommendations on tools of the trade? I've had my eye on this guy for a while.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-5898-Stainless-Steel-Baster/dp/B0000CFTOE

Use the little adapter that come with the butane, I can fit just about 10g perfectly in it

You don't really give much information to go on. What will you be grinding? How much use will it get? What is important to you, speed, size, ease of cleaning? Price point?

I will assume this will be for your personal, household use.

Here is a well reviewed cheaper one: http://www.amazon.com/Sunmile-SM-G31-Grinder-Stainless-Attachments/dp/B005EPJAY8

and a higher end home grinder: http://www.amazon.com/LEM-Products-W780A-Stainless-Electric/dp/B00E8MADPS/

It really depends on what you want to spend and how you will be using it.

We have this grinder and it works great! Granted we grind only a pound at a time (85% red meat + 15% fat), and we've never used it to grind nuts or make pasta so can't comment on that. For $25, I recommend it.

However, you can buy cheaper cuts of steak and do this at home with a jaccard. It's not going to be as tasty as a better cut of meat, but it works in a pinch. It's also great for making chicken fried steaks.

I use the LEM hand grinder - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002L84GJU/

Cased 20 lbs of sausage over the last week, and another 20 lbs of plain ground venison. Trimming meat takes longer than grinding, though stuffing sausages with a small inlet hand crank is a two person job.

That style of stuffer you linked is called a "piston" sausage stuffer. It's the better option. I bought this one. It's a little cheaper, and the opening at the bottom is pretty wide. The stuffing tube for hog casing is about 3/4" at the opening. Due to the force involved, I doubt you would have any problems. IDK about the LEM one but I need to get a large alligator clip to secure it to the countertop. It's not impossible to use without that, but it would be a little easier.

I have a 7lb model vertical stuffer. Adding meat is is no problem at all. I use it 3-4 times a year and once a year we stuff about 100lbs of meat in different kinds of sausage. I think it's the perfect size. Only reason I could see going bigger would be if I wanted to do large bolognas or mortadellas but still why would i need to go bigger than 5-7lbs into one of those? This size breaks down pretty small, it's light enough to still pick up and move around easily and most of it fits in the dishwasher. This is virtually the same one I have but mine's a no name with plastic nozzles.

https://www.amazon.com/Weston-Vertical-Sausage-Capacity-86-0701-W/dp/B009KKL2BM/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3N8WG7AMXNE1&keywords=sausage+stuffer&qid=1555429890&s=gateway&sprefix=sauasage+stuffe%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-15

LEM makes a great 5 lb stuffer. I use it for relatively small runs, and it cleans up really easily. Some people use it without mounting it to the counter, but I like the extra stability, so I mounted mine to an extra cutting board so I can still move it around.

Here

Any injector of this type will work. I recommend stainless over plastic. The last one I had was plastic and it cracked. Same with a friend of mine who had the exact same model.

You don't have to, but if you do, you probably won't regret it.

When I'm doing any kind of marinade for anything - beef, chicken, or pork - I give it a good pounding with one of these.

It will help to make sure the sausage mix is as cold as possible. However, I consider the Kitchenaid grinder/stuffer to be a lesson in frustration.

I'd say the LEM 5 lb. is the gold standard for an entry level stuffer. It's worth waiting and putting it on a wish list.

The same meat tenderizer can be bought from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004UE7Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I remember my mother using ours to punch holes in potatoes before baking them.

I've never seen a felting tool with such heavy needles. I don't think the the heavy needles would be very effective when trying to work the wool.

The biggest factor for me when buying a meat grinder was how hard is it to clean? Followed by price since I only use it once a month or so.
I bought this oneoff Amazon and it has been awesome, hardly any mess or wasted meat and it disassembles for easy storage. It's mostly made of plastic but is built well and gives a very consistent mince. If you're planning to use the thing every day or multiple times per week I'd consider going to something more durable though.

This guy will tenderize it pretty well http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001347JK6/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15474605259&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=585831003675954919&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_B001347JK6

Yeah, needle / blade tenderizers are great.

If you're a cheap bastard like me, this $7.60 one from Amazon gets the job done.

I also use the Grizzly 5 lb. stuffer. It's my second stuffer. My first one was the 3 lb "elbow" stuffer from The Sausage Maker, similar to this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Sportsman-MHSS5-Pound-Sausage-Stuffer/dp/B000GTH45E/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1405981183&sr=8-16&keywords=sausage+stuffer

Avoid the elbow-style stuffer like the plague! The vertical stuffer is infinitely superior.

A good stuffer makes the work much much nicer. I got the Hakka 7 lb and have been really impressed with the build quality.

In general, you want one that is all stainless steel, with a good piston with smooth action. Another thing to think about is warranty/replacement policy. I haven't had to do this with mine but a number of other reviewers mentioned good customer service with the Hakka.

One thing to mention that others haven't is a workbook. Where are you getting your recipes from? Sausage making is a different art than other curing/cooking and while it is fairly simple there are a few important steps (like keeping meat cold during processing) that can ruin the end product if missed.

You could pick up one of these. I've got one and use it frequently. Makes it easy to break it down to a fine mince if needed. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-High-Temp-Hamburger-Chopper/dp/B00TTZGVSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484607132&sr=8-1&keywords=meat+masher

I know this might blow your mind and it did mine as well. But they actually make meat choppers. It’s a wild time to be alive.


https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-25739-Hamburger-Chopper/dp/B00TTZGVSC

Edit: Spelling

Jaccard a thin piece and make chicken fried steak on a bed of mash potatoes and gravy. Mmmm. Cheap and delicious.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6

The plastic gear and screw and suction base would be my concern.

I'd recommend something with a metal screw, a couple of plates (coarse and fine), and a clamp for a sturdy base. Something like this:http://www.amazon.com/Weston-Heavy-Manual-Tinned-Grinder/dp/B000BQSW44/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_4?ie=UTF8 , or this http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-265-08-Healthy-Meat-Grinder/dp/B0000DE4LW/ref=pd_sbs_k_4?ie=UTF8.

There are several similar items available at various prices.

Edit; link #2

Kind of a different approach from everyone else, I use these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0067YBFQQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1485100001&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=metal+meat+claws&dpPl=1&dpID=41auVYgPGSL&ref=plSrch

Female here but I sucked cooking meat, still working on the steak part but we don't eat red meat al ot anyway.

But chicken, invest in a meat thermometer. Don't over cook it. And let it rest before you cut it. Invest in a jaccard to tenderize it before you cook it or marinate it. (
https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-7032-Meat-Tenderizer/dp/B00004UE7Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?keywords=meat+tenderizer+tool&qid=1557945665&s=gateway&sprefix=meat+tenderi&sr=8-14)

Resting is just letting it sit without heat, or minimal heat so it can soak back up those juices! Also, homemade shake and bake is your friend when you want a nice meal with minimal work and super cheap.

Here's my ranch shake and bake chicken recipe:

1/2 packet of ranch powder dip
Jar of bread crumbs, preferably Italian flavor
Vegetable oil/canola
Butterflied chicken breast

1. Cut chicken butterfly style, stab chicken with jaccard to tenderize it
   
   
2. In a big bowl, mix breadcrumbs, oil and ranch until the breadcrumbs have absorbed the oil, but no excess oil remains. ( This depends how much batter you want. I'd say I use about half the jar of breadcrumbs and about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil ( you can do this without ranch too. And just make basic shake and bake. Or you can add parmesean cheese to the breadcrumbs. This also works with pork)
   
   
3. Throw chicken breast one at time in bowl. Cover and stir it around until coated. It'll look lightly coated. That's what you want.
   
   
4. After coating all your chicken, put in casserole dish, or glass pie pan. Whatever dish you have is fine. I prefer my glass cake pan.
   
   
5. Cook at 350 for about 35 mins. Temp check it. If the chickens at 165 degrees or higher, drop the heat in the oven to 200 and let it rest on the low heat with the oven door shut.
   
   
6. Cook your sides now. I recommend Mac and cheese and some kind of vegetable. Broccoli and carrots goes well with this ( if anyone want my homemade Mac and cheese recipe, I'll post that too)
   
   
7. Plate it, eat and enjoy

or a Turkey Baster EDIT you can save a whole dollar :D

Why not go manual? Grinders like these:

https://www.amazon.com/LEM-Products-Stainless-Clamp--Grinder/dp/B002L84GJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1473069945&sr=1-1&keywords=manual+meat+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Weston-Realtree-Grinder-Sausage-Stuffer/dp/B005OSF4HM/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1473069945&sr=1-4&keywords=manual+meat+grinder

worked for my mom.

If I had a meat tenderizer, I could use it protect myself and my buddy, AND tenderize foods for our dinner. Who doesn't want to beat their meat, right? :P

Marinating works. Brines work. They work better if you use one of these.

I bought this one: New VIVO Sausage Stuffer Vertical Stainless Steel 3L/7LB 5-7 Pound Meat Filler ~ by VIVO (STUFR-V003) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OBXZ9EY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TOCOybBBBM161

Works great. I don't know that you're going to be able to avoid the $100 price tag for anything decent

Season the steak liberally with kosher salt (not iodised salt) and pepper and then hit it with a tenderizer like this one. Let the steak sit out for 20-30 minutes until it comes to room temperature. Heat the pan to ~400 F with a little olive oil and then cook the steak for about 3 minutes per side (for rare).

Most phallic in Kitchen

oh god, I would never be seen with this in public and most geeky in Misc

achieve goal in Misc

Meat tenderizer fork.

There are more modern versions with a spring cover to keep from stabbing yourself on the splines, like this. Though I've never seen them used. The low surface area means that basically any other tool would be better.

Here you go. I use something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-High-Temp-Hamburger-Chopper/dp/B00TTZGVSC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_bs_lp_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GWEYXVR5CEPTH0WJNRKP

capping the dirt with sand as well as using a turkey baster like this to knock the dirt off the leaves immediately followed by a WC will help a lot.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CFTOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thought about it a bit, I think here are your options (specifically excluding "cook it more" like the sous vide suggestion):

• Trim carefully and have multiple smaller pieces of lean meat. Not ideal.
  
• Get a pricier cut of meat.
  
• Try a jaccard: http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6 . It uses extremely small, thin blades to punch lots of tiny holes into the meat, effectively mechanically tenderizing it. Lots of butchers do this without telling you, and you'll never know because the holes are so small and the cuts so precise that they basically seal up again when the blade is pulled out. You can choose to focus around the chewy areas if you don't want to jaccard the lean meat.

Stupid question, but what kind of tenderizer do you use?

I've only had moderate success with this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-7032-Professional-Meat-Tenderizer/dp/B00004UE7Y

I have 2 small gifts I recommend. The first is a ground meat chopper. It is something I never would've thought to purchase but I use it weekly. It's less than $10.00.

Second thing is an egg cooker. I also use this weekly. Usually around $20.

Extending off of this article, this is when a steak tenderizer can really come in handy as well.

Get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6

Then follow Alton Brown's recipe for swiss steak.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/swiss-steak-recipe.html

I believe he has some other cheap steak recipes as well.

We sort of have a monopoly on our grocery stores here, my local HEB was the store I got it from. A quick search on amazon resulted in these, which look just like the ones I have but I can't vouch that its the same exact brand.

I have one of these Weston grinders and it's garbage. Just poorly manufactured. The cast parts are just inexcusably shoddy. The frame has two 1/8" voids, and the auger's stem is squashed. And on top of that, they just took the raw casting, rough from the sand and tinned it. Those parts are supposed to be ground smooth.

You can buy a two gear, 7 lbs capacity sausage stuffer on amazon for a reasonable price.
https://www.amazon.com/Sausage-Stuffer-Stainless-Vertical-HAKKA/dp/B011RN5QN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=sausage+stuffer&qid=1566378862&s=gateway&sprefix=saus&sr=8-4

Great posts! [Here's another 90's-styled website with great techniques and recipes.] (http://www.meatsandsausages.com/)

The only thing I would add to the posts above is the 100% necessity of getting a proper tube stuffer like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011RN5QN4/). I started with the kitchen aide stuffer attachment and ruined an entire batch of hot dogs when the emulsion broke from the heat. The tube stuffer is very gentle and pushes the meat into the casings with pressure rather than a worm screw like the kitchen aide. Worm screws are fine for grinders but terrible for stuffers.

I looked at that one and I am cheap too but this one Made in America promised results more than 4 times as good

What I like about this one is:

it's not just possible, it's easy to disassemble.

The blades are flat with a sharp blade at the end so they make a deep slice 1/8th" wide, cutting the connective tissues instead of just pushing them aside. Much more tender meat as a result.

Lifetime money back guarantee.

Jaccard also sells the older model which disassembles with screws which everyone says are a pain in the butt. I have the one with a blue slider lever on the handle to unlock the blades for disassembly.

I worked in a place where we cooked chicken-fried steak. Get one of these Jaccard Tenderizers. I can't speak to jerky, but one of those will make anything easy-to-chew.

/u/brock_lee is probably correct, but I think it could also be a meat tenderizer.

I use this one. Inexpensive, seems well built, and quick. I ground ten pounds of strip cut meat in about 6 minutes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002I5QHW/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_vuO7tb1SYSQ1D

Impulse buy unlocked!

http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-CC1130-5-Inch-Stainless/dp/B0067YBFQQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1395165499&sr=1-3&keywords=bbq+bear+claws

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grinder-Mincer-Pasta-Maker/dp/B0002I5QHW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318434285&sr=8-2 this is the one 4 stars with 91 reviews...i think that's decent enough

Will these pipettes from EarthOx work? You could always check out basters too.

Do you mean these?
https://www.amazon.com/Weston-Manual-Grinder-Sausage-Stuffer/dp/B000BQSW44

Those were the exact ones I was thinking of when I mentioned the reviews ripping into it. At this point there seems to be just as many 1 star reviews as 5 star.

Jaccard

If you eat a lot of these I can attest that a Jaccard Meat Tenderizer does wonders to this cut.

Here you go

This is the one I have. Built to last

Hakka 7 Lb/3 L Sausage Stuffer 2 Speed Stainless Steel Vertical 5-7 Lb Sausage Maker by HAKKA BROTHER

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011RN5QN4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VAnwCbPX0WHGC

Meat chopper for when you cook ground meat.

Life. Changing.

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-High-Temp-Hamburger-Chopper/dp/B00TTZGVSC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_lp_tr_img_2/131-4257112-6501426?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F2NG4RT4PPQW9077MJPW

This ground meat chopper changed my life, makes it so easy to break up the clums: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-High-Temp-Hamburger-Chopper/dp/B00TTZGVSC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481449920&sr=8-4&keywords=ground+beef+masher

you got this

some variants:
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cook-25739-High-Temp-Hamburger/dp/B00TTZGVSC
https://www.amazon.com/Heat-Resistant-Meat-Chopper-Hamburger/dp/B07QD449ZW
https://www.marthastewart.com/shop/home-classic-soft-grip-ground-beef-meat-chopper-masher-by-home-classic-pack-of-2-pc1b0532b0a5c05abdc33e4acefd25fd6.html

you'll need a hydrometer and graduated cylinder. You could instead get a refractometer which uses much less beer to take a sample but requires more attention to detail because you need to adjust for alcohol in the sample. You'll also need a way to get the sample out of your bucket/carboy so a wine thief or stainless baster should getcha there

In response to /u/n_reineke's question.

No soup for you!

Also, medium rare. Wrapped in bacon.

:/ Sorry about that. I completely forgot to talk about how to turn pieces of meat with connective tissue into a tender cut of meat for this recipe.

What you want is a meat mallet with spikes or a meat tenderizer tool.

I don't have the tool, but alton brown seems to like them. What they do is they manually sever the connective tissue and so that the chewy bits ball up and the whole thing seems tender.

More on meat mallets: https://keepingiteasyandsimple.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/tool-of-the-week-meat-mallet/

As for the meat cuber, I don't own one but it has a bunch of flat blades that pierce the meat and tenderize it for you: http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6

I totally had this link bookmarked in my notes and everything: http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/altons-chicken-fried-steak-0170182.html :(

Though in a practical sense, if you don't want to buy either of those tools, banging it more would probably do the job for you.

Steak tenderizer, cast iron skillet, butcher's block, chef's knives and sharpener.

I have one of these for grinding meat but it kind of sucks: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grinder-Mincer-Pasta-Maker/dp/B0002I5QHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373646013&sr=8-1&keywords=meat+grinder but it extrudes pasta and costs 27 dollars