Meat Grinder Suggestions

[idahomayberry]

I have just started making sausage.  I purchased an inexpensive electric meat grinder manufactured by Nesco.  I am not planning to make a bunch of sausage so I did not want to spend much, but the grinder just doesn't work very well.  The grinding plate gets clogged up frequently making a simple grinding of 5 lab of pork into a long ordeal.  Maybe that is just a problem with meat grinders in general.  I know, I know, you get what you pay for, but I am not planning to make sausage every week and I am not making 20 lbs at a time so I hate to spend a bunch for a large grinder. Does anyone have a particular meat grinder you use that you can recommend?

I would just buy ground pork at the grocery store but they are such high fat I hate to use them, and I have tried to get a grocery store to grind some pork for me so I know how much fat is going into it and the cut of meat, but it seems as though they primarily grind beef and don't want to clean the machine after grinding pork. 

Anyway, I would sure like a suggestion on a meat grinder that won't cost and arm and a leg.

[Quarlow]

I am not sure about the grinders plugging up. I just bought a hand cranker. I figure till I know more about it I can use the hand one for now. I will likely only do 10lbs at a time till I figure it out. You may ask the grocery store guy may be willing to grind for you if you ask him to do it just before he cleans his machines at the end of the day. You may get a little of whatever he has ground in it but it won't hurt anything. But it would be nice to do your own at home when you want. Well someone will be along soon to give you a proper answer. We have some real good suasage guru's here.

[Sailor]

Several things could be the cause of you plugging up.  Are you cutting your meat in about 1 inch cubes and then freezing it until it is pretty firm?  This will help the grinder to grind the meat and fat and push it out the plate.  If you are using a fine grind plate you might be clogging if you are not freezing the meat where it is cutting instead of mushing.  You can also go up to a 3/8 inch or medium plate.  I make links using the 3/8 inch plate and like the texture much better than using the fine plate. 

[ArnieM]

I have the smallest LEM, 5 pound capacity.  It works great.  Just cut the meat in strips and the grinder sucks them in.  No need for cubes.  Saves some time.

It is very important that the meat is VERY cold; half frozen.  Otherwise the fat can jam up any grinder.

[idahomayberry]

Very good suggestions, thank you for your responses.  I have not had the meat frozen or partially frozen.  It just mushes up and then one end of a sinew fiber seems to go out one hole in the grinding plate and the other end out another hole.  By the time you go through some meat, the holes seem to be clogged.  I will try partially freezing and I bet it will solve the problem.  Thanks.

[bundy]

I think the guys have you covered, most important is to have the meat 1/2 frozen, I'll grind thru the coarse plate first then the medium plate before stuffing.

[careff]

 I had to turn my blade around in my electric, I thought I was doing it right but wasn't

[NePaSmoKer]

Sharp flat side of the blade rests against the plate.

I dont freeze the meat, i freeze the machine  ;D

A cheap re freezeable sports wrap. This keep the auger cold so the meat dont get hot.

[Habanero Smoker]

NePas;

Thats a good idea.

[VI_Smoker]

I had the problem with mushing and sinew wrapped around the blade when I last made fresh sausage, a friend mentioned I should have done a better job of trimming the meat.  Does freezing the meat partially alleviate this problem or should I be trimming all silver skin and sinew?

[KevinG]

Removing as much silverskin and sinew as you can prior to grinding is your best bet to get rid of the build up. Cleaning the blade/plate between grinds is also a good thing to do. Mushing can be due to the meat being too warm.

[NePaSmoKer]

Yup

What Kevin said.

[Rich_91360]

I have had great success with the basic electric grinder #12 from Northern Industrial. comes with 3 plates, reverse switch, very easy to clean and durable. 

[NePaSmoKer]

For small batches you cant beat the basic $99 Cabelas grinder.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/home-cabin-food-processing-food-grinders/_/N-1101293/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104364180

[pensrock]

NePas;

Thats a good idea.

Yea he comes up with a good idea every now and then.  ;) ;D