I’ve been following a no-oil plant-based way of life for a number of years for health reasons. While I enjoy this way of life, I’m aware that it can be a bit monotonous for some people and I want to expose other people to a kitchen gadget they might have been gathering dust in the kitchen cupboard: The ‘meat’ grinder. The grinder has historically been used for meat products, but I want to introduce you to a kinder use: kinder for your body; kinder for the environment, kinder for animals.
A grinder isn’t so different in productivity to a blender or food processor, but it allows a guaranteed one-time-only pass for the food being ground, thus allowing more control over the outcome than a blender or food processor that repeatedly cuts/chops/blends food.
I’ve experienced a stand-alone hand manipulated grinder as well as a grinder that works as an attachment for an electric food processor. They are temperamental devices! Depending on the size of the holes in the grinder, the temperature of the food, the temperature of the device, the speed at which the grinder is used, results can vary. So please use these recipes as a guide rather than following them to the letter. One useful tip I discovered from meat-grinding days was to freeze the grinder feed for half an hour before use and/or to freeze the food being ground, so I recommend trying these options to see what works best for you. In each recipe, I provide a ‘recommended grinder size’, but feel free to use your judgment once you are familiar with the temperament of your grinder!
If you need a device then check out this guide to which sort of grinder to buy.
Sharon Newman