In article >,
"brooklyn1" > wrote:

> "Omelet" writes:
> > "brooklyn1" wrote:
> >
> >> There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department
> >> is
> >> not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it
> >> will
> >> be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
> >> you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
> >> grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
> >> custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll
> >> simply
> >> point to the mystery meat in their meat case.
> >
> > It is possible to simply "grind" a very small amount of meat using a
> > good sharp knife and a cutting board...
>
> I'd not call that grinding, it does not produce the same texture, but is
> often used for specific recipes where that's the texture desired as for
> tartar. That method is (or used to be used) for making forced meat, for
> chopping potted meat, becaeu it was too soft for grinding and would just
> smear. That procedure was most often accomplished in a wooden bowl with a
> chopping knife that was curved to match the bowl... was called "hock
> fleish"/chop meat... typically used for stuffing pasta.

Picky picky. <g>

>
> > When I grind meat or make sausage, I never do less than 10 lbs. or more.
> >
> > I actually do sometimes purchase "mystery meat" from the butcher shop at
> > HEB, but just the fresh ground stuff. In that, I know I'm getting good
> > meat as they take all the steaks and roasts that are fixin' to outdate,
> > grind them and sell them for around $2.80 per lb. I have yet to be
> > disappointed by it and you can visibly see the difference in those
> > packages when comparing them to the regular 80/20 etc. ground beef.
>
> If you're grinding in batches of 10 lbs and more why do you need to buy
> mystery meat, don't you make up packages for your freezer?

I do. But I sometimes run out and need a small amount for a recipe.
It's not often. And suitable meat priced right for grinding was not
available for quite awhile. Reasonably priced beef has only recently
become available again. I'm well stocked at the moment so won't need
any for at least a month or three.


> When I grind
> beef I almost always make up a few large burgers, those can always be used
> for a small amount of ground beef. My beef burgers are anywhere between 8-14
> ounces... larger don't usually get a bun, those are eaten as chopped steak.

I use a 3/4 cup measuring cup to portion my patties and freeze them
layered with waxed paper.

>
> > The "butcher shop" is visible to everyone behind the main meat counter
> > and I've watched them work a lot. I've talked with the meat shop
> > manager more than once, exchanged recipes with him and gotten some
> > useful grinding and prep hints from him. ;-) He's a cool guy and the
> > place is very, VERY clean.
>
>
> The stupidmarket where I shop is part of a big New England chain (Price
> Chopper), most of their stores have two entirely separate meat departments,
> one large department that sells the usual prepackaged but will custom trim.
> The smaller department is just like the old fashioned butcher shop, they
> don't sell any prepackaged and they sell a better quality including USDA
> Prime. Naturally they charge more and I do buy certain cuts, like
> porterhouse, short ribs, deckle, marrow bones, etc. Deckle is the cut used
> to make kosher pastrami but is also excellent braised. Their regular meat
> department will not custom grind, the custom meat shop will custom grind but
> you'd not want to pay their prices... and you'd still not really know what
> was ground in that machine previously and how long ago, so it would still be
> mystery meat.

I totally understand. I was simply told "no" because they'd have to
take the machine apart and clean it after my order was done. Not worth
their hassle and they stay quite busy as it is.

They will, however, custom cut (and package) just about anything I ask
them to. I can get a thicker cut, for instance, of on sale steaks that
I deem to be cut too thinly. I can also get a hyooge custom roast cut
if I ask. They are cool about that.

They will also slice a whole cheap ham into ham steaks for me and
re-package it and leave it at the same price!

>
> > He will not grind meat for me either (I only asked once) for the very
> > reason you mention above. He was up front about it. Now that I own my
> > own grinder, it's a moot point. I don't use it often but it's worth the
> > space it takes up in the pantry imho.
>
> Home grinders have the footprint about that of an electric can opener, they
> are not very heavy, perhaps 7-8 lbs, and don't need to be left on the
> counter. I keep mine in a small pantry with all my pots and other
> appliances... but there is no reason a grinder can't be stored anywhere, the
> floor of a coat closet works if one is so short of space... but I really
> don't believe a space can't be found in even the tiniest kitchen... and most
> people have a lot of crap cluttering their kitchen space that they never
> use, dump it.

Mine is re-boxed every time along with it's accessories and stored on
the pantry shelf. The box is about 12" x 12" x 12". It's not large or
heavy. I've posted pics of it more than once. ;-)

>
> > As far as making sausage is concerned, it's just spiced ground meat.
> > It's not rocket science. The trick is just getting the spicing
> > proportions down right and that can come with careful experimentation to
> > suit it to your personal tastes.
> >
> > Cabelas sells pre-packaged mixes but I've never used them. The salt
> > content, for one thing, is WAY too high! I use about 1/4 the salt
> > called for in sausage recipes I've googled.
>
> Ordinary spices and herbs every cook keeps will suffice, there are no rare
> difficult to find items in sausage.

Absolutely agree. I'll sometimes re-stock something I'm running low on
when I plan a sausage making spree. Things like ground celery seed for
instance, or fennel for italian sausage.


> And there are all kinds of sausage,
> from ordinary fresh, to cured, smoked, fermented, and there is no rule says
> you have to stuff casings, I rarely do, I mostly make sausage pattys. If
> anyone is going to dabble in sausage making beyond ordinary fresh I strongly
> urge they read a book on sausage making.

I've done both patties and stuffed. I find stuffed to be faster and
easier as I don't have to stand there and make the patties. <g> I still
have not tried smoking sausage yet, but I want to.

>
> I don't eat much cured/smoked sausage so I don't make that and when I get
> the urge I'd rather buy a small amount of a premium brand. In fact I don't
> like to have a large amount of salami, pepperoni or even balogna in my
> fridge because I'll pig out on it. But I do eat a lot of ground beef/pork
> and that I always grind myself. I actually prefer a ground round/chuck beef
> steak to those expensive beef steaks, half they time I'm disappointed as
> even when I choose them myself they often contain a lot of fat bone and
> gristle... I hardly ever order steak out, I think the last time has to be
> like seven years ago when I first moved here and it was suggested I try a
> particular steak house, was just okay, not something I'd ever try for steak
> again, a smallish porterhouse for $35, and only like half was edible, not
> even enough to feed my cats. I frequent this restaurant about ten times a
> year but I never order their steak dinners. I much prefer to buy
> stupidmarket steak and grill it at home.

My favorite cut is rib-eye followed by t-bone or strip steak. Chuck is
also quite good flavor-wise, just a bit tougher. But I have good teeth.
<G> Chuck eye makes a nice presentation when bacon-wrapped.

As for eating steak out, I really do prefer to cook it myself. I just
cannot justify the cost of eating steak out more than once every few
years on a special occasion.

Then they better jolly well serve it to me as rare as I ask them to! We
are blessed with a very good cook at our local "Outback" chain (don't
laugh, he's really cool) that will cook it to my preference. But when I
go there, I generally get the rack of lamb.

>
> Their web site sucks (menu is down) but The Quarry Steakhouse has a great
> bartender (top notch 2nis), their salad bar is excellent, real homemade
> soups, bread baked on premises, and they have plenty of other entree choices
> besides steak... their chicken, pork, and veal dishes are perfect Since
> it's only a half hour away sometimes I do lunch and just have the salad bar
> and drinks... dinner time and weekends they are crowded and you need
> reservations.
>
> http://www.quarrysteakhouse.com/qsh/index.htm

A packed house is generally very telling. :-) Cheers!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


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