Meat grinders often have a sausage stuffer attachment for stuffing sausage casings with ground meat.
A meat grinder is kitchen equipment designed to grind meat into evenly sized segments. People are probably familiar with hamburger meat, a common product in the meat grinder, but these tools are also used to grind meat for hot dogs, meat buns, and similar products. By the way, many butchers are happy to grind custom meats for customers who request them, and you may find that freshly ground meat tastes better when used. They can also be used for things other than meats, like nuts and some vegetables.
Bleach can be helpful in keeping your meat grinder clean.
The basic principle of operation of the meat grinder has remained the same since it was developed in the 19th century by German inventor Karl Drais. The meat is forced through a metal plate that is perforated with several small holes. As the meat is extruded, it takes the form of long, thin strands of meat that can be broken into pieces. It is possible to change the grinding fineness by changing the plates, from very fine to very coarse.
The earliest meat grinders were manually operated, and some smaller meat grinders are still designed to be manually operated. However, commercial meat grinders are electric; this is vital when processing large amounts of meat, otherwise the hand can get very tired. As well as being used to grind a single type of meat, a meat grinder can also process mixed meats, ensuring they are evenly combined, as is often the case with sausages.
Many meat grinders have a sausage maker attachment. To make sausages with a meat grinder, people place the tripe on the sausage plate and then force the meat through the plate onto the tripe. Periodically, the casings can be twisted to create individual sausages which can then be sliced.
Ground meat is extremely useful, but meat grinders can be dangerous. When using a meat grinder, always keep the tips and hairs away from the device as they may get stuck and seriously injure you. It’s also important to remember that ground beef is an ideal environment for bacteria, as many exposed surfaces are created. Ground meat should always be cooked thoroughly and the meat grinder should be thoroughly cleaned after use to prevent contamination. The use of very hot water and bleach or a similar strong disinfectant is strongly recommended.